Empowering the Next Generation: Negotiation Works’ Partnership with Life Pieces to Masterpieces
By Adina Mobin, NEGOTIATION WORKS volunteer instructor
Alexis Green, NW Ambassador, leads youth in the Life Pieces to Masterpieces program in a negotiation skills exercise.
On April 12, 2025, Negotiation Works hosted a negotiation and self-advocacy training in partnership with Life Pieces to Masterpieces (LPTMP), a D.C.-based nonprofit that empowers African American boys and young men through artistic expression, helping them build character, realize their potential, and become leaders in their communities. The instructors for the day were none other than Negotiation Works Ambassadors Alexis Green, Jonte Robinson, Curtis Patterson, and Shannon Sisney. Each of these instructors, graduates of our negotiation program themselves, led a segment of the teaching curriculum, drawing from personal experiences and insight and guided by Negotiation Works staff and volunteers, especially Isa Salazar, the staff member who oversees the Ambassador program, and Phuong Lue, an experienced educator and dedicated volunteer.
A Day of Collaboration
The classroom was filled with energy and anticipation as the Ambassadors taught a condensed version of their eight-week negotiation training to the LPTMP attendees, including roughly a dozen boys ranging in age from 14 to 17 as well as several LPTMP staff. From the start, students demonstrated an eagerness to learn and collaborate with each other and their instructors. Through a series of engaging and interactive activities, the Ambassadors inspired the students to participate actively and think critically about the concepts being introduced.
Curtis kicked off the day with a fun yet thought-provoking ice breaker that involved pairing students and giving each pair a single ball. The student without the ball was tasked with obtaining it, but how they did so was entirely up to them. Curtis recalled that students approached the challenge in various ways, with some asking questions, others trying to strike deals, and one student even offering a dollar in exchange for the ball.
Another recurring activity was role-playing, where the students were given realistic negotiation scenarios and asked to work through how each party might go about reaching a solution. These role-playing activities encouraged students to apply the lessons they were learning in situations that could very likely happen outside of class by proposing alternatives, considering multiple perspectives, and engaging in constructive conversations. Alexis noted how impressive the students were to begin with. Many of the participants were excited to ask questions, answer prompts, and volunteer for the activities.
“With role-playing, I was able to help them build or tap into building self-awareness, learning how to manage their emotions and how to advocate for themselves.”
Building a Safe Space
Before class began, the Ambassadors were already hard at work establishing the foundation for the class by setting expectations and goals. They stated that one of their major priorities was ensuring the students felt like the classroom was a safe space for them to open up and be vulnerable. Shannon stated that before the class, the team met over the course of several weeks, brainstorming big picture topics to discuss with this age group so that they could be deliberate in their messaging. The team discussed what topics might be too extreme or triggering and how to navigate heavy subject areas. Alexis said this notion resonated with her even when it came down to choosing what she was going to wear to class. That day, she chose to wear a pair of shoes she thought the age group would like, a pair of Jordans. The Ambassadors’ preparation definitely paid off as the lessons taught that day were being lived in real-time, a testament to the students’ feeling of comfort and safety.
Real-Time Impact
One of the most meaningful moments of the day grew from a student who attended with his mother and younger brother. Jonte said, "I had the honor of sitting beside a family. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group and Ambassadors, one of the adolescents was there with his younger brother and his mom, so a lot of the topics and examples coming from him were raw and honest.” Curtis noted that the Ambassadors were able to help this student navigate communication challenges he was having at home with his mom, and the class was able to help the family find solutions right there in the classroom. “I saw that even after the class ended, the students were still continuing the conversation or saying, ‘Hey, that’s a good idea,’ or ‘I’m going to do this,’” echoed Alexis.
A Full-Circle Moment
For the Ambassadors, this experience was a deeply personal and reflective one. Many of them noted how this training was a full-circle moment. Jonte explained, “It was just an honor to be an Ambassador because, on a personal note, I have applied some of the same skills and teachings on a wider scale in my own life. I was able to remove a lot of the uphill mountains that a lot of returning citizens are faced with when it pertains to the probation office. I actually reversed the trajectory in a sense because there is a stigma placed around us, and I had to prove otherwise. With the Negotiation Works curriculum, I was able to apply those things and get off the electronic monitoring box that was attached to my leg by advocating for myself.” Jonte added he believes it is his civic duty as leader to pay it forward to the next generation.
Alexis said the class also made her realize how much she enjoys teaching young students and added she would love to continue this program. She explained, “The experience of working with Negotiation Works over the past three years enriches me and my commitment to affirming the power of teaching negotiation styles and how we can work these vital skills into our lives.”
For Shannon, teaching the training further reminded her how essential it is to have negotiation tools. “I was incarcerated, and I think a lot of the results that I had gotten were because I didn’t know how to speak up. I didn’t know how to stand up for myself and I didn’t know how to want something and be able to actually access it,” said Shannon, “I just thought that I had to be quiet and take it, so being in there with those kids and seeing the mother and son have that interaction, I understood even more how powerful this class and this course are.”
Why Negotiation Matters
The training underscored the power of having the skills to effectively negotiate at every stage of life, because negotiation is everywhere. Jonte pointed out that negotiation is essential because, “We are all uniquely designed but we are all the same, right? And it just helps with better developmental skills and great tools to have because you need them in personal life, you need them in a business, you need them at home, you need them in your community, and you need them at school.”
Shannon echoed how important it is for people to learn these skills earlier in life. She said, “Some of the kids in there reminded me so much of my son, and all I could think was,‘Man, if I could have given these skills to my son at their age–because he’s 25 now– I would have been able to teach this stuff to him at a younger age. I just think that for a lot of the roadblocks that he endured or encountered, he would have been so much better prepared with these skills.’”
“[Negotiation] is a part of everything that they do. There is not one part of life that you go through that you won’t be negotiating. It is literally a part of everything. When you make decisions to go to school or a job, everything is a negotiation.”
Looking Ahead
Melissa Reinberg, Executive Director of Negotiation Works, said, “Watching the Ambassadors lead this negotiation session for the young men with Life Pieces to Masterpieces was like watching our organization’s vision spring to life. We envision that one day, all community members will have the tools to advocate for themselves and negotiate effectively with one another. On that Saturday morning in April, Alexis, Curtis, Jonte, and Shannon skillfully passed along the skills and confidence they gained in our program to young people in the community. They set our vision into motion, as these young men will now spread the skills to their own family members and beyond.”
Negotiation Works is honored to collaborate with LPTMP, an organization equally committed to leadership, community, and transformation. The success of this workshop is a testament to the power of shared experience, intentional teaching, and the belief that everyone, no matter their story, has the ability to advocate for themselves and others.