Monday, August 27, 2012

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Graduation ceremony honors those who were once most at-risk in Palm Beach County
The Palm Beach Post, Lake Worth, FL – August 25, 2012
Somewhere around his junior year, Michael Meese just decided he didn’t really want to go to school anymore.  But thanks to a pilot program aimed to cut down on high school dropouts, Meese got back on track again, graduating as his family looked proudly on.

North Marion High School Hosts Drop Out Prevention Invitational
WBOY12, Marion County, WV – August 24, 2012
North Marion High School invited juniors and seniors from Fairmont Senior and East Fairmont High Schools to join their students in the drop out prevention invitational.  Students worked with the U.S. Marine Corps to improve their physical and mental abilities.

Dropouts offered 2nd chance
Toledo Blade, Ohio – August 21, 2012
Allison Hinds decided in her senior year that she and high school didn't mix.  Her prospects weren't bright.  But these days, she has a job and her own place and is back on track at school, thanks to a new program at Owens Community College for high school dropouts.

Juvenile Justice

Kids Behind Bars: Illinois Rethinks Juvenile Justice
NPR News, Illinois – August 18, 2012
The state's juvenile prison system has been called an expensive failure. So Illinois, like several other states, is trying a new approach to make sure kids out on parole don't come back: treating youths who commit crimes less like adults. And the structure of the system is starting to shift.

Life-without-parole bill lands on governor's desk
San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento, CA – August 20, 2012
A bill to let prisoners appeal lifetime sentences they received for crimes committed when they were juveniles is now in the governor's hands.

Foster Care

Former Foster Children Get A Leg Up At Sac State
KTXL Fox40, Sacramento, CA – August 24, 2012
A program to help Sac State students who were in foster care arranged for the donation of much needed laptop computers.  The Guardian Scholars program at CSUS helps students navigate the university system by providing financial aid, counseling and vocational guidance.

Visa offers path for immigrant youth in state care
The Sacramento Bee, Cumming, GA – August 25, 2012
Maria Boudet has no memory of Mexico or how she came to the United States. What she does remember is the year she turned 16 and found out she was living in the country illegally.  Two years ago, her mother was deported, her brother was detained and she was put in foster care. A powerful reminder of all she lost and gained is printed on the top right corner of her green card: "SL6." That's the code for special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS), the little-known program that allows Boudet and hundreds like her each year to live and work in the U.S. as a legal permanent resident.

Teen Pregnancy

Greater New Haven nonprofit honors graduates of teen pregnancy prevention program
New Haven Register, North Haven, CT – August 26, 2012
An ambitious local nonprofit is attempting to tackle the issue of teen pregnancy prevention through positive reinforcement. The organization is recognizing New Haven teens who have chosen to not have children.

Ads invoke reality to fight teen pregnancy
Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee, WI – August 21, 2012
United Way of Greater Milwaukee, in collaboration with Serve Marketing, is launching a new "What You Can't Do with a Baby" campaign to get teens talking and thinking about how life changes when a teen becomes a parent.  The ads depict a high school basketball player and a cheerleader in action, both with attached baby carriers and the message: "Think your life won't change with a baby?" The ads direct teens to BabyCanWait.com, connecting them to information and resources to help prevent pregnancy and promote healthy relationships.

No comments: