Tuesday, May 28, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

New Magic Johnson dropout recovery program opens in Savannah
Savannah Morning News, Savannah, GA – May 27, 2013
A new charter school program designed to get dropouts to graduate has opened in Savannah.  The Magic Johnson Bridgescape learning center will serve students in grades nine through 12 who have dropped out or are at risk of quitting school.

Perry signs bill for dropout prevention programs
Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, TX – May 25, 2013
Gov. Rick Perry over the weekend signed into law a bill allowing public technical colleges like Texas State Technical College to partner with public junior colleges to administer high school dropout prevention programs.

Curriculum aims to stem dropouts
Charleston Daily Mail, West Union, SC – May 21, 2013
Every other Friday this year, Doddridge County High School students have ended class two hours early.  The school's 374 students divide into groups and spend the rest of the day making their visions come to life. The school is filled with the sounds of power drills, sizzling grease and music composed by the students themselves.

Juvenile Justice

Changes proposed for NC's juvenile justice system
WRAL, Raleigh, NC – May 27, 2013
Legislators, advocates and prosecutors are talking about changing a century-old law that calls for lawbreakers to be prosecuted as adults starting at age 16 — a measure that remains in effect in only one other state in the country.

House votes to move 17 year-olds into juvenile justice system
Dorchester Reporter, Massachusetts – May 23, 2013
The House unanimously passed legislation Wednesday that would move 17-year-old offenders into the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts, ending the practice of routinely incarcerating 17-year-olds in adult corrections facilities.

Lawmakers agree on funding for overhaul of Nebraska's juvenile justice system
Lincoln Star Journal, Nebraska – May 22, 2013
Nebraska lawmakers moved Wednesday toward committing $14.5 million in new spending as part of a massive overhaul of Nebraska's juvenile justice system.

Foster Care

Foster care housing project dawns
The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN – May 22, 2013
A long-standing south-side eyesore felt the blows of the wrecking ball Tuesday to make way for housing to help young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.

‘Aging out’ doesn’t end foster care
Cleveland Daily Banner, Ohio – May 27, 2013
The goal of foster care is to give children a permanent home, but that does not always happen before they reach the age of 18.  Some children reach their teenage years and hit the brink of adulthood before that happens. These teens are said to have “aged out” of the foster care system.  But recent years have seen more and more transitional resources being made available for these children to learn how to be live successfully on their own.

Teen Pregnancy

CDC: Teen Pregnancy declines across the country
CBS 6 WTVR, Richmond, VA – May 23, 2013
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control found all states are seeing a record low number of teenagers giving birth.  The most dramatic declines are in the mountain states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.  Their teen birth rate numbers fell by 30% or more.  The biggest difference was for Hispanic teenagers.

Monday, May 20, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Ala. video highlights dropout prevention efforts
San Francisco Chronicle, Montgomery, AL – May 19, 2013
At the end of a movie, it's rare to see an entire audience sticking around in the darkened theater to watch the credits. Stranger still — hearing the crowd cheer and applaud as the names of the cast and crew appear on the screen.  The film is a collaborative effort between Montgomery public high school students, some of whom have been at risk of becoming dropouts themselves, and a group of Alabama State University students and graduates who served as mentors.

Birmingham students graduate as a part of Drop Out Recovery program
CBS 42, Birmingham, AL – May 16, 2013
For many students, economic factors, personal obstacles and peer pressure push a high school diploma farther down on their list of priorities.  One group of Birmingham students is bucking that trend.  On Thursday, they reaped the rewards of taking charge of their own lives.  More than 140 students received their diplomas from the Birmingham City Schools Drop Out Recovery program.

Chesterfield program helps students plan for future
Richmond Times-Dispatch, Chesterfield, VA – May 20, 2013
Lee Bryson, a senior at Chesterfield Community High School, sat in front of a computer Thursday afternoon like a true teenager.  Slouched in his chair and seeming to pay little attention to several adults, he was more interested in the game on the monitor than anything the adults could offer.  But Bryson was doing exactly what he was supposed to — playing a game of chess against the computer with total focus.

Juvenile Justice 

Overhaul of Nebraska's juvenile justice system clears second hurdle
Lincoln Star Journal, Nebraska – May 15, 2013
The cornerstone bill of a proposed overhaul of Nebraska's juvenile justice system appears headed for passage by state lawmakers.  The bill (LB561) by Omaha Sen. Brad Ashford was given second-round approval Wednesday on a voice vote. It faces one more round of consideration.

Senate OKs bill for arrested 17-year-olds to be sent to juvenile court
Pantagraph.com, Springfield, IL – May 14, 2013
The Illinois Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would send all 17-year-olds charged with crimes in Illinois first to juvenile courts.  The measure, which was approved by the House in April, now goes to Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk.  Currently, 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors are handled in juvenile justice courts while 17-year-olds charged with felonies are prosecuted in adult criminal courts and sent to adult prisons if incarcerated.

County examines juvenile detention program
The Journal Times, Racine County, WI – May 20, 2013
Racine County is in the early stages of looking for ways to improve its juvenile detention program, after receiving a grant from a private foundation.  The state’s Office of Justice Assistance selected Racine County in January to receive an Annie E. Casey Foundation grant as part of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative.

Foster Care

DSU grad, Seaford native aims to help foster kids
Delaware Newszap, Dover, DE – May 19, 2013
Christella Amose St. Juste knows first-hand the challenges that youth in foster care face.  Ms. St. Juste, who graduated from Delaware State University with a criminal justice degree on Sunday, lived in foster homes growing up.  Now she is determined to go to law school and work with foster kids — she knows that there is a big need for advocates.

May is foster care month in Pennsylvania
CBS 21, Pennsylvania – May 13, 2013
At an awareness event today in Harrisburg, “Walk a Mile in a Foster Child’s Shoes,” the department was joined by the Pennsylvania State Resource Family Association; Together as Adoptive Parents; and country music star, Jimmy Wayne. Shoes were placed on the capitol steps representing the 14,000 children in the foster care system in Pennsylvania. The shoes will be donated to the Salvation Army.

Teen Pregnancy

Pregnant Boys Featured in Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaign
NewsFix, Chicago, IL – May 17, 2013
Expect the unexpected.  That’s exactly what you’ll get as you walk by a shocking new Chicago billboard campaign, featuring images of pregnant boys.  The Chicago Department of Public Health says it chose the unusual images because it wanted to help reduce teen pregnancy and get young boys’ attention. After all, it takes two to tango.

Teens take center stage in Manatee County pregnancy prevention
Bradenton Herald, Bradenton, FL – May 16, 2013
Teenagers have a long reputation for ignoring the sage advice of parents, educators and other adult authority figures while eager to listen to their friends and fellow youths. Now this peer-to-peer communication is working well in Manatee County's ongoing effort to stem teen pregnancy.

Monday, May 13, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Program working to keep Native American kids in school
KTVQ, Browning, MT – May 12, 2013
The 2013 Building a Grad Nation annual update shows that more than one-third of Native American high school students drop out of school.  Twenty-six communities across Montana have joined in on the Graduation Matters initiative, in an effort to combat such problems.

Fighting Back: Decreasing the Dropout Rate
NBC15, Mobile, AL – May 10, 2013
A recent study looked at areas where over the years there have been spikes in crime. What criminologists and sociologist found was in areas where there were higher levels of unemployed and uneducated youth, there was a huge increase in theft and violence.  In our Fighting Back series, we show you how the Mobile area education foundation has developed a program to decrease the high school dropout rate and put these teens to work at the same time.

New Branson H.S. 9th grade center could help improve graduation rates
KY3, Branson, MO – May 9, 2013
The new Ninth Grade Center at Branson High School is more than a new wing.  Educators say it's a new model for learning.  They think it's a $6 million investment that will keep freshman on the right track.

Juvenile Justice

Fewer Memphis juveniles are being transferred to adult court
The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN – May 11, 2013
More juveniles charged with crimes are being given a chance to turn their lives around, dodging transfer to adult court where prison is a common outcome, according to court statistics.  During the past decade, the number of transfers peaked in 2008, when 225 youths were sent to the Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar to face trial on felony charges, according to a study of Shelby County Juvenile Court statistics.

Program provides option for Weinland Park youths in trouble with law
The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus, OH – May 13, 2013
Seated in a car parked beneath mounted surveillance cameras, two special-duty police officers waited outside D&J Carryout on the corner of N. 4th Street and E. 8th Avenue.  Their goal on Friday was simple — talk to young people about a new program that aims to steer them away from drugs, gangs, vandalism and other problems that have plagued the Weinland Park neighborhood for years.

Foster Care

Gov. Markell helps launch national initiative for kids aging out of foster care
WDDE 911.FM, Delaware – May 6, 2013
Governor Jack Markell is pushing to extend care for foster kids after age 18 as part of a nationwide campaign to help them transition to adulthood.  Markell helped launch the campaign – “Success Beyond 18” – in Washington DC Monday at a meeting of the National Governor’s Association.

Advocates Look to Increase Foster Care Age from 18 to 21
Your Public Media – May 9, 2013
May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and as WNPR's Ray Hardman reports, advocates are pushing to extend foster care from 18 to 21 years old.  According to a report released today by the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, 18-year-olds that age out of the foster care system are more likely than their peers to drop out of school, experience homelessness, and end up in jail.

Teen Pregnancy

New anti-teen pregnancy app from city health department helps youth get advice, find clinics for birth control
Daily News, New York, NY – May 8, 2013
It's sex ed for the 21st century.
The city's health department on Wednesday unveiled a first-of-its-kind sex education app geared towards teens to help lower pregnancy rates.  The colorful app — called Teens in NYC Protection+ — was designed with input from youngsters and includes details on where to get free birth control, STD screening and other health services.

Bill to lower barriers to pregnant teens' education
UPI.com, Washington, DC - May 11, 2013
A U.S. Senate bill would help states and local school districts support pregnant and parenting youth who face challenges staying in school, legislators say.  In a nationwide survey, 33 percent of female dropouts and almost 20 percent of male dropouts reported that becoming a parent was a major factor in their decision to leave school.

Monday, May 06, 2013

This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

New Arlington ISD Learning Center Tailored To Help Dropouts
CBS 11, Arlington, VA – April 29, 2013
Students drop out of high school for a lot of reasons: financial issues, pregnancy or just being negatively influenced by the wrong people. Now the Arlington Independent School District and City of Arlington have teamed up to tell dropouts “its never too late to learn.”

Academic center strives to help struggling teens graduate
News Tribune, Jefferson City, MO – May 5, 2013
Robert Taylor-Bey was 13 years old the first time he met Deanne Fischer, principal of the Jefferson City Academic Center.  Unfortunately, it was because he was in Jefferson City Public School District’s Suspended Student Classroom, better known as “SSC.”  “I always got suspended,” he remembers. “I had a lot of anger issues.”

We're determined to increase rate of college eligibility
MyDesert.com, Palm Springs, CA – April 4, 2013
In the Palm Springs Unified School District, our high school graduation rate continues to increase, while our dropout rate is decreasing. This year, in collaboration with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), through its Workforce Excellence Oversight Committee, a regional plan for College and Career Readiness has been developed, and a multiyear implementation is under way among the valley’s three public school districts and colleges.

Juvenile Justice

Gov. Deal signs juvenile justice reforms
Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgia – May 2, 2013
Gov. Nathan Deal traveled to a youth detention center in Dalton, Ga., Thursday to sign an overhaul of Georgia’s juvenile justice system aimed at improving outcomes for young offenders and saving money.

Nebraska Juvenile Justice Reform Amendments Pass Committee Vote
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Nebraska – April 26, 2013
The Nebraska Legislature has pushed forward a proposed piece of juvenile justice reform legislation, following a judiciary committee re-write, the Omaha World-Herald reports.  Legislators approved amendments Tuesday to Legislative Bill 561.

Foster Care

Bill extending foster care to age 21 goes to Gov. Rick Scott for signature
The Miami Herald, Tallahassee, FL – May 1, 2013
The Florida House passed a bill Wednesday giving young adults in state custody the option of remaining until age 21 – three years longer than in current law – to reduce their chances of ending up homeless, jobless or in jail.  The measure (SB 1036) passed the House 116-1 after the Senate unanimously passed it last week. The Senate named the bill the "Nancy C. Detert Common Sense and Compassion Independent Living Act," after its Senate sponsor.

Presidential Proclamation - National Foster Care Month, 2013
Newsroom America – April 30, 2013
As a Nation, we have no task more important than ensuring our children grow up healthy and safe. It is a promise we owe to the hundreds of thousands of youth in foster care -- boys and girls who too often go without the love, protection, and stability of a permanent family.

Leaving the foster home behind
Herald and News, Klamath County, OR – May 4, 2013
A Klamath County resident for 20 of the past 23 years of his life, Allen has been a foster child since he can remember. At 21, he “aged out” of the system, leaving the Oregon foster care system behind.  Allen is now offering his time locally to turn the tide against what he sees as a system failure. Working with Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, he’ll be speaking about his experiences with a group of Klamath County foster children preparing to live on their own.

Teen Pregnancy

Governor Bryant declares May Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
WDAM 7, Mississippi – May 1, 2013
Governor Phil Bryant attended a Community Town Hall Meeting Wednesday to promote his Teen Pregnancy Prevention initiative.  When Governor Bryant took office reducing teen pregnancies in the state became one of his top priorities. In 2010 the state by far had one of the highest rates in the nation averaging 55 pregnancies for every 1000 teenage girls age 15 to 19.

Boys and Girls club teaches teens to make smarter choices
WALB 10, Albany, GA – May 4, 2013
Some Southwest Georgia teens got a lesson about teen pregnancy.  In recognition of National Teen Pregnancy Prevention month, the James Wilson Boys and Girls club in Albany had a teen maze about life choices. The maze had different stations showing teens the consequences of making good and bad choices in life. 

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day Efforts Taking Place in Mid-Michigan
Fox 47, Michigan – May 1, 2013
Thousands of teens in mid-Michigan will be taking an online quiz, and it's not for math class. Organizations around the state will encourage teens ages 12 to 19 to visit Stayteen.org for the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.  "That quiz is going to challenge them to think about what they'd do in the moment. through a bunch of interactive scenarios," said Amber Arb, a Planned Parenthood Community Outreach Educator.