Education
Notebook: Arlington schools receive grant to prevent dropouts
Star-Telegram, Arlington, TX – January 25, 2009
Arlington’s six traditional high schools will benefit from a nearly $500,00 three-year federal grant aimed at decreasing dropouts, youth violence and gang activity, according to school officials. It will be used to develop a program in which juniors and seniors mentor incoming ninth-graders through student organizations, according to the district.
ADAC hosts drop-out prevention program training
Lufkin Daily News, Lufkin, TX – January 25, 2009
Tucked away in an office in Cotton Square in downtown Lufkin, a small group of drug and alcohol educators from across the state and U.S. bonded as they learned how to help the youth they work with connect to live in a positive way. The program helps students build self-esteem while connecting them to themselves, their communities, peers and school. It focuses on making changes in their norm, moving their images of things like schools and community from a negative norm to a positive.
Omaha Teen Tries To Break Free From Poverty
MSNBC, Omaha, NE – January 19, 2009
Most 17-year-old girls are focused on prom dresses, high school graduation and boys. Chissa Shepard thinks about where she’s going to sleep at night and what she's going to eat. Shepard is part of the program that pays her and other high school dropouts to go to school, train for a job and plan for a career.
Juvenile Justice
Greenhouse program in North Toledo helps teens grow up
Toledo Blade, Toledo, OH – January 25, 2009
In the last four years, some 225 local teens have worked in a collaborative initiative between CITE (a Lucas County Juvenile Court job-training effort) and Toledo Grows (Toledo Botanical Garden's community garden outreach). Dan Pompa, administrator of the Lucas County Juvenile Court, said CITE/Toledo Grows works mostly with kids on the edge of serious delinquency. Usually, they're "kids that live in some of the higher-risk neighborhoods," kids who are "in the system enough to have gotten our attention and be placed on probation."
Agency Helps Troubled Teens And Their Families Survive
Tampa Bay Online, Tampa Bay, FL – January 26, 2009
Often they're from out of state. No close friends yet, no relatives to lend a hand. A teenager in the family is getting into trouble. The school is threatening expulsion; the child seems on the verge of losing control. Even the siblings' grades are slipping amid the turmoil. Stressed-out families often feel they have nowhere to turn. But in Hillsborough County, they do.
Foster Care
Give teens 'fighting chance'
Appeal Democrat, Marysville, CA – January 24, 2009
For Donna Simmons, every day her job is about small amounts of progress and steps forward with the children she works with. The 49-year-old mother of six is a Transitional Housing Placement Program mentor at Lake Francis Resort in Dobbins. She says every day and every child that comes through the program is different. Programs like Environmental Alternatives in the Yuba foothills try to address these statistics by teaching young people in their program money management and how to live on their own.
Broward Housing Solutions opens new doors for aged-out foster youth
Sun Sentinel, Broward County, FL – January 26, 2009
Local youth who age out of the foster care system can now find affordable housing and call it their own thanks to the generous financial backing of the Community Foundation of Broward in support of Broward Housing Solutions' mission to meet the needs of this specific population. Broward Housing's program, "Housing Solutions for Young Adults," specifically addresses youth with mental health issues, and is partnering with Henderson Mental Health Center and SOS Children's Villages Florida. Broward Housing Solutions' recently opened the doors to Woodside Gardens in Coral Springs and Wilson Gardens in Hollywood.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Committee focuses on Rogers dropouts
Daily Record – January 16, 2009
A committee looking for ways to prevent dropouts wants the board to consider letting truant students make up their work, Deputy Superintendent Mark Sparks told the Rogers School Board on Thursday. The committee has been working since October to solve the dropout problem.
Turning potential dropouts into grads
Intelligencer Journal – January 16, 2009
It took grit and determination, but on Thursday, Priscilla McLaughlin, 19 and a single mother of two small children, was handed a prize for which she had worked hard: her high school diploma. McLaughlin was one of the 47 students to graduate from Ephrata's Washington Educational Center, an alternative school for students at risk of dropping out of school or who have already dropped out.
Drop-In Day slated for school dropouts
Ventura County Star - January 15, 2009
Adult schools across the state will have a drop-in day today, aimed at encouraging adults who dropped out of high school to get their diploma. On Drop-in Day, adult schools will offer on-the-spot appointments with counselors who can provide individual advice.
Juvenile Justice
Fond du Lac Ojibwe School uses elders to keep students on ‘the good path’
Duluth News Tribune – January 19, 2009
Instead of standing before a panel of administrators, troublemakers and truants at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School join a traditional circle of elders, where voices are heard and lessons are stressed. The elder circle at the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Ojibwe School, in its third year, has helped raise attendance rates and lower bullying incidents, school staff members say.
Erie County coordinates services to troubled youths
The Buffalo News – January 17, 2009
The Another Voice column titled, “Families in crisis need a bailout,” concerning juvenile justice was very enlightening. American Bar Association President H. Thomas Wells Jr. and Judge Patricia A. Macias, president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, called attention to an issue we have addressed here in Erie County over the past several years. The writers advocated for providing coordinated services to youth and families in crisis rather than abandoning vulnerable youth to the state, as is occurring in Nebraska.
Foster Care
Montessori school raising funds to help teens leaving foster care
TC Palm – January 17, 2009
Students and faculty at Bridges Montessori have embarked on a mission to aid teenagers who have aged out of foster care and are entering independent life. The school is raising money for a computer lab in the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Youth Transition Center, a planned resource for former foster children between ages 18 and 23.
Outdoor gear store offers help to kids in foster care
Alaska Journal of Commerce – January 16, 2009
When the call went out to put Alaska kids in foster care in a better position to afford decent clothing, the store manager of one of Anchorage’s premier outdoor gear shops saw it as a perfect match. “We’re not just a retailer; we feel like we should be involved in the community,” said Mike Herzog, of Recreational Equipment Inc., popularly known as REI.
Western Michigan University initiative opens doors for foster students
MLive – January 16, 2009
Western Michigan University is not making any money on its foster-youth-and-higher-education initiative, but President John Dunn says the return on the investment will be enormous. Approximately 500 kids age out of the foster system every year in Michigan, and 70 percent of them want to continue their education, WMU found. But very few of them are doing so. Dunn thought the state could do better.
Committee focuses on Rogers dropouts
Daily Record – January 16, 2009
A committee looking for ways to prevent dropouts wants the board to consider letting truant students make up their work, Deputy Superintendent Mark Sparks told the Rogers School Board on Thursday. The committee has been working since October to solve the dropout problem.
Turning potential dropouts into grads
Intelligencer Journal – January 16, 2009
It took grit and determination, but on Thursday, Priscilla McLaughlin, 19 and a single mother of two small children, was handed a prize for which she had worked hard: her high school diploma. McLaughlin was one of the 47 students to graduate from Ephrata's Washington Educational Center, an alternative school for students at risk of dropping out of school or who have already dropped out.
Drop-In Day slated for school dropouts
Ventura County Star - January 15, 2009
Adult schools across the state will have a drop-in day today, aimed at encouraging adults who dropped out of high school to get their diploma. On Drop-in Day, adult schools will offer on-the-spot appointments with counselors who can provide individual advice.
Juvenile Justice
Fond du Lac Ojibwe School uses elders to keep students on ‘the good path’
Duluth News Tribune – January 19, 2009
Instead of standing before a panel of administrators, troublemakers and truants at the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School join a traditional circle of elders, where voices are heard and lessons are stressed. The elder circle at the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Ojibwe School, in its third year, has helped raise attendance rates and lower bullying incidents, school staff members say.
Erie County coordinates services to troubled youths
The Buffalo News – January 17, 2009
The Another Voice column titled, “Families in crisis need a bailout,” concerning juvenile justice was very enlightening. American Bar Association President H. Thomas Wells Jr. and Judge Patricia A. Macias, president of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, called attention to an issue we have addressed here in Erie County over the past several years. The writers advocated for providing coordinated services to youth and families in crisis rather than abandoning vulnerable youth to the state, as is occurring in Nebraska.
Foster Care
Montessori school raising funds to help teens leaving foster care
TC Palm – January 17, 2009
Students and faculty at Bridges Montessori have embarked on a mission to aid teenagers who have aged out of foster care and are entering independent life. The school is raising money for a computer lab in the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s Youth Transition Center, a planned resource for former foster children between ages 18 and 23.
Outdoor gear store offers help to kids in foster care
Alaska Journal of Commerce – January 16, 2009
When the call went out to put Alaska kids in foster care in a better position to afford decent clothing, the store manager of one of Anchorage’s premier outdoor gear shops saw it as a perfect match. “We’re not just a retailer; we feel like we should be involved in the community,” said Mike Herzog, of Recreational Equipment Inc., popularly known as REI.
Western Michigan University initiative opens doors for foster students
MLive – January 16, 2009
Western Michigan University is not making any money on its foster-youth-and-higher-education initiative, but President John Dunn says the return on the investment will be enormous. Approximately 500 kids age out of the foster system every year in Michigan, and 70 percent of them want to continue their education, WMU found. But very few of them are doing so. Dunn thought the state could do better.
Monday, January 12, 2009
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Case High sees far fewer dropouts
The Herald News – January 8, 2009
Every school has its share of burdens. And for Joseph Case High School, its dropout rate has always topped the list. But that number plummeted last year to just two students, and school officials say a number of new initiatives are to thank for that fact.
Focus Academy to aid dropouts, expelled students
Battle Creek Enquirer – January 8, 2009
Focus Academy, where classes will commence Jan. 20, will serve 12- to 18-year-olds from the Battle Creek area who have dropped out of or have been expelled from, traditional or alternative schools. Focus Academy students will pay no tuition, and enrollment will be capped at 14 for the first semester to maintain a student-to-teacher ratio of 7-to-1.
RESA offers program to get dropouts, expelled students back in class
The Voice – January 7, 2009
A new program to help dropouts and expelled students in St. Clair County earn their high school diploma through a combination of online and in-person learning is being offered through the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA).
Juvenile Justice
Changing model for juvenile justice
Tri-City Herald – January 11, 2009
Jacque van Wormer has seen too many kids cycle through the juvenile justice system who could have taken a different path. Intervention is the key, van Wormer said, but at what age do you start? That's one question van Wormer hopes to answer as Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court participates in a national initiative that's addressing the current challenges and concerns in the system to make sure youths are treated fairly and have access to the right services.
Olney resident spearheads new program
Olney Daily Mail – January 9, 2009
Linda Brown is the new project coordinator for the Juvenile Justice Council and will be responsible for keeping the line of communications open between the counties of the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The Juvenile Justice Council is a juvenile-justice improvement program aimed at keeping juveniles who have committed crimes from committing future crimes.
Groups call for juvenile justice reform
Arkansas News – January 9, 2009
Juvenile crime in Arkansas has declined, creating an opportunity for the state’s juvenile justice system to shift its focus away from incarceration and toward community-based treatment, a child advocacy group said Friday. “This is a very opportune time to perhaps catch our breath and look not at how we react but how we can prevent children from entering this system,” said Paul Kelly, the report’s author, at a news conference at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Foster Care
Teen refuses to let foster-care situation define him
Post-Bulletin – January 10, 2009
A 17-year-old ward of the state sat at a computer in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., writing the most important letter of his life. It was a sales pitch to 30 prospective foster care parents in the Rochester Hills, Mich., area. He'd found them by searching through court records and legal documents.
ALABAMA VOICES: Helping children big task
Montgomery Advertiser – January 10, 2009
For more than 16 years, Christian Services for Children in Alabama has been involved in helping to change the face of foster care in the state of Alabama. As a pioneering agency, CSCA joined the state on its cutting edge of serving children and youth in home-like settings while meeting some of their most challenging issues. Currently, CSCA is focusing heavily on recruitment and retention of individuals who possess a special gift for serving children and adolescents with psychological challenges.
Life skills training to help foster youth on the path to independence
Beaumont Enterprise – January 6, 2009
More than 200 foster youth in Southeast Texas and East Texas will learn how to better live an independent adult life through a new program offered by Baptist Child & Family Services. The state awarded a four-year contract to the San Antonio-based organization that will expand their Preparation for Adult Living program to 10 cities in East Texas and Southeast Texas including Beaumont and Jasper.
Case High sees far fewer dropouts
The Herald News – January 8, 2009
Every school has its share of burdens. And for Joseph Case High School, its dropout rate has always topped the list. But that number plummeted last year to just two students, and school officials say a number of new initiatives are to thank for that fact.
Focus Academy to aid dropouts, expelled students
Battle Creek Enquirer – January 8, 2009
Focus Academy, where classes will commence Jan. 20, will serve 12- to 18-year-olds from the Battle Creek area who have dropped out of or have been expelled from, traditional or alternative schools. Focus Academy students will pay no tuition, and enrollment will be capped at 14 for the first semester to maintain a student-to-teacher ratio of 7-to-1.
RESA offers program to get dropouts, expelled students back in class
The Voice – January 7, 2009
A new program to help dropouts and expelled students in St. Clair County earn their high school diploma through a combination of online and in-person learning is being offered through the St. Clair County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA).
Juvenile Justice
Changing model for juvenile justice
Tri-City Herald – January 11, 2009
Jacque van Wormer has seen too many kids cycle through the juvenile justice system who could have taken a different path. Intervention is the key, van Wormer said, but at what age do you start? That's one question van Wormer hopes to answer as Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court participates in a national initiative that's addressing the current challenges and concerns in the system to make sure youths are treated fairly and have access to the right services.
Olney resident spearheads new program
Olney Daily Mail – January 9, 2009
Linda Brown is the new project coordinator for the Juvenile Justice Council and will be responsible for keeping the line of communications open between the counties of the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The Juvenile Justice Council is a juvenile-justice improvement program aimed at keeping juveniles who have committed crimes from committing future crimes.
Groups call for juvenile justice reform
Arkansas News – January 9, 2009
Juvenile crime in Arkansas has declined, creating an opportunity for the state’s juvenile justice system to shift its focus away from incarceration and toward community-based treatment, a child advocacy group said Friday. “This is a very opportune time to perhaps catch our breath and look not at how we react but how we can prevent children from entering this system,” said Paul Kelly, the report’s author, at a news conference at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Foster Care
Teen refuses to let foster-care situation define him
Post-Bulletin – January 10, 2009
A 17-year-old ward of the state sat at a computer in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., writing the most important letter of his life. It was a sales pitch to 30 prospective foster care parents in the Rochester Hills, Mich., area. He'd found them by searching through court records and legal documents.
ALABAMA VOICES: Helping children big task
Montgomery Advertiser – January 10, 2009
For more than 16 years, Christian Services for Children in Alabama has been involved in helping to change the face of foster care in the state of Alabama. As a pioneering agency, CSCA joined the state on its cutting edge of serving children and youth in home-like settings while meeting some of their most challenging issues. Currently, CSCA is focusing heavily on recruitment and retention of individuals who possess a special gift for serving children and adolescents with psychological challenges.
Life skills training to help foster youth on the path to independence
Beaumont Enterprise – January 6, 2009
More than 200 foster youth in Southeast Texas and East Texas will learn how to better live an independent adult life through a new program offered by Baptist Child & Family Services. The state awarded a four-year contract to the San Antonio-based organization that will expand their Preparation for Adult Living program to 10 cities in East Texas and Southeast Texas including Beaumont and Jasper.
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