This Week's News: Youth in Transition

Education

Illinois lawmakers raise high school drop out age
WREX 13, Ilinnois – June 16, 2012
President Obama wants more states to raise the minimum age for high school students to drop out. Governor Pat Quinn and Illinois lawmakers are on board. But not many states are following suit.

Arizona high school graduation rate grows by leaps, bounds
KTAR, Washington, D.C. – June 13, 2012
Arizona high schools have increased their graduation rate by 24 percentage points in the last decade, the biggest increase in the country, according to a national report released Friday.

Teachers Open Up On Why Kids Really Drop Out
NPR – June 14, 2012
It's the end of the school year, and teachers and students are enjoying some downtime. But some kids won't be going back to school next fall because about a million students drop out every year. Host Michel Martin discusses the dropout crisis with teachers from three cities with high dropout rates: Las Vegas, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.

Juvenile Justice

Youth justice a model for others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jonesboro, AK – June 17, 2012
The new $15 million Youth Development and Justice Center facility, set to open in Jonesboro in August, isn’t just another kiddie jail.  The facility is a reflection of the collaborative effort among police, schools and the court that has made Clayton a national model for keeping kids out of jail.

Peer Jury Gives First Time Juvenile Offenders a Second Chance
Western Springs Patch, Western Springs, IL – June 13, 2012
Since October of 1997, first time juvenile offenders in Western Springs have been given a second chance through the police department’s Juvenile Peer Jury, an alternative to juvenile court.

Foster Care    

Foster youth overcome the odds to earn their degrees at UCLA
UCLA Newsroom, California – June 11, 2012
Marching with the thousands of students in UCLA's various commencement ceremonies this month will be a special group of 20 graduates who in past years might never have made it to the finish line: former foster youth.

Junior League offers Education and Career fair for teens in Foster Care
NJ.com, New Jersey – June 11, 2012
The Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills, Inc. (JLOSH) and the Junior League of Montclair-Newark, Inc. (JLMN), in partnership with the Child Advocacy Clinic at the Rutgers School of Law, the Essex County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the Essex County Family Court, hosted an annual Education & Career Fair for teens in foster care who are about to age out of the child welfare system. The event took place on Thursday, May 17, at Rutgers University Law School in Newark.

Teen Pregnancy

Breaking the Link between Teen Pregnancy and Poverty Among Latinas
Fox News – June 11, 2012
The key to reducing teen pregnancy among Latinas lies in education, according to a report released by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
  
United Way Targets Teens in Provocative Ad Campaign
Fox 8, Milwaukee, WI – June 12, 2012
United Way of Greater Milwaukee launched a new, provocative ad campaign Tuesday, June 12th, targeted at teens. It delivers a message to parents to talk to kids about healthy relationships.