The October 2026 training will be held online on Zoom.

The March 2027 training will be held in person at the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center in Bellingham, Washington.

Because Professional Mediation Training requires a serious commitment from both participants and WDRC staff and trainers, we require a $100 deposit to hold your place in the training. 

The $100 deposit will be applied to the full training fee:

• $695 early-bird fee

• $795 regular fee

There are scholarships available to help defray the costs of Professional Mediation Training. Please see “Financial Assistance and Scholarships” below for further information, and don’t hesitate to apply.

The $100 deposit is non-refundable.

Cancellations made before prior to three weeks before the training are eligible for a full refund, less the $100 deposit. 

Cancellations made within three weeks of the training are not eligible for a refund, but participants may be able to transfer their deposit and training fee to a future training within the next calendar year.

Scholarship applications for the October 2026 training are expected to open in late August 2026.

There are two scholarships available to help defray the costs of Professional Mediation Training:

Boskey Diversity Scholarship

James B. Boskey was a pioneer in alternative dispute resolution. One of the missions of his memorial foundation is to support students seeking mediation training. The Boskey Diversity Scholarship helps the WDRC further diversify the pool of mediators serving Whatcom County, especially people from marginalized groups who identify as multilingual, multicultural, and people of color.

Need-Based Scholarships

The WDRC also offers limited Need-Based Scholarships to those whose financial situations would otherwise prevent them from being able to afford the full registration fee.

If selected, all scholarship recipients must agree to:

1. Pay a mutually agreed upon deposit prior to the beginning of the training

2. Attend all 40 hours of the training

3. Provide a short testimonial about the recipient’s experience in the training and how the scholarship assisted the recipient to participate

4. Pay any additional mutually agreed upon amount within three months of completing the training

Additionally, upon completing the training, all scholarship participants are strongly encouraged, to the best of their ability, to:

• Share their knowledge and experience with their community

• Meet with the Mediation Program Manager to assess interest in applying for the practicum program (additional scholarship funds are available for PMT scholarship recipients)

• Apply for the WDRC practicum and, if accepted, participate fully to complete the certification process

• Upon certification, become a volunteer mediator for the WDRC

Professional Mediation Training meets the requirements for 35 CLE credits through the Washington State Bar Association for a fee of $125.

Professional Mediation Training can also be counted as 35 clock hours for Washington State educators through OSPI for a fee of $125.

Please indicate on the registration form if you’re interested in CLE credits or clock hours. For more information and to confirm eligibility, please contact the WDRC at training@whatcomdrc.org.

Moonwater is an experienced mediator, facilitator, and trainer. She holds an MPA from Seattle University, where she specialized in non-profit management, and a BA in Psychology from Whitman College. She is past president of Resolution Washington, the statewide Association of Dispute Resolution Centers, and currently serves on the Bellingham-Whatcom Commission on Sexual & Domestic Violence. With past membership on the Board of the Washington Mediation Association, Whatcom County's Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force, and Washington State's Charities Advisory Council, Moonwater is attuned to a broad swath of nonprofit, justice, and dispute resolution issues, needs, and opportunities. In 2017, she was recognized as Professional Woman of the Year by Whatcom Women in Business. Since 2005, she has served as the Executive Director of the non-profit Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. Along with her passion for the field, her family, and all things sweet, Moonwater has enjoyed teaching the art of mediation to students for the past 17 years.