Education
EPISD dropouts urged to return
El Paso Times, El Paso, TX – September 20, 2012
The El Paso Independent School District, still plagued by a plan some administrators devised to kick low-performing students out of school to rig accountability measures, is focusing its efforts to bring dropouts back to the classroom.
Volunteers urge dropouts to return to Des Moines high schools
IndyStar.com, DesMoines, IA – September 23, 2012
Des Moines schools employees and community volunteers hit the streets Saturday morning in an effort to get 303 students to come back to high school.
District trying to keep high school grads from dropping out of college
The Examiner, Washington, DC – September 23, 2012
The District is testing a new mentoring program at three universities in an attempt to keep the large numbers of D.C. high school graduates who drop out of college from calling it quits.
Juvenile Justice
Dropout Nation: From Detention To Diploma
KPBS, Flagstaff, AZ – September 17, 2012
The high school dropout rate for American Indians is almost twice the national average. Educators in Flagstaff, Ariz., have tried to turn that trend around. And they’ve had some success at a place you wouldn’t suspect -- the Coconino County Juvenile Detention Center. Most of the kids who wind up there are Native American. Incidentally, we weren’t allowed to show faces of most of the kids because of their age.
Staten Island Youth Court: Teens get involved in justice system
Staten Island Advance, Staten Island, NY – September 23, 2012
A group of teens sits in the Staten Island Youth Court, silent and attentive as the bailiff leads in the respondent, Youth Court's equivalent of a defendant. Just moments before, the teens were laughing and joking. But now, it's serious business, and they know it -- business that can include accusations of shoplifting, graffiti vandalism or truancy.
Georgia at Work on Juvenile Justice Reforms for Next Year
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, Georgia – September 18, 2012
With technical assistance from the Pew Center on the States, a Georgia blue ribbon panel is studying the state’s juvenile criminal justice system, charged by the governor with recommending policy changes.
Foster Care
Bridging the gap to independence
Camarillo Acorn, Camarillo, CA – September 21, 2012
Allison Bravo doesn’t know who her parents are. Now 19, Bravo has spent her life alternating between living in a group home and staying with a foster family that was not a good match. When she aged out of foster care, she became homeless. Fortunately for Bravo, Casa Pacifica offered her a steppingstone into the future. The nonprofit, which serves Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, provides care for abused and neglected youths.
Life after foster care
The Daily Journal, San Mateo County, CA – September 17, 2012
Graduates from high school or college are more and more likely to still be living at home. Finding a path to employment is increasingly challenging for young adults, especially for those with little or no support network. For foster youth who have aged out of the system, going back home may not be an option. Sims’ and Kopyscianski’s paid internships with the San Mateo County Parks Department are part of a new county Supported Training and Employment Program (STEP). The program, which started three years ago, is designed to help foster youth follow their employment and education goals once they have aged out of the foster care system.
Foster kids get help to move on
Courier-Journal.com, LaRue County, KY – September 22, 2012
When Willie Wells turned 18, he was discharged from a group home in LaRue County and given a bus ticket to Louisville. Hoping now to help others avoid that kind of struggle, Wells and others have put together a Youth Empowerment Summit in Lexington today, where young people in foster care can get information and advice about what’s available when they leave state custody and enter adulthood.
Teen Pregnancy
Record low local teen pregnancy rates
CBS 10, Amarillo, TX – September 19, 2012
Fewer teen girls are becoming pregnant in Amarillo. The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition says they're seeing the lowest rates since they began keeping track over ten years ago. They held a meeting today with area social workers, nurses, and students to announce their latest findings.
Sex Education in Mississippi: Will a New Law Lower Teen Pregnancy Rates?
Time Magazine, Mississippi – September 21, 2012
During the four years Ashley McKay attended Rosa Fort High School in Tunica, Miss., her sex education consisted mainly of an instructor listing different sexually transmitted diseases. “There was no curriculum,” she says. “The teacher, an older gentleman who was also the football coach, would tell us, ‘If you get AIDS, you’re gonna die. Pick out your casket, because you’re gonna die.” The scare tactic backfired.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
LAUSD Reaches Out To Bring Dropout Students Back To School
CBS2, Los Angeles, CA – September 14, 2012
Members of the Los Angeles Unified School District launched the fifth annual Student Recovery Day Friday morning. “Our whole community is coming together,” LAUSD board member Steve Zimmer said. “We are not complete without you, we want to know why you left and we want to help you come back.”
Schools come knocking to re-enroll dropouts
Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – September 12, 2012
Community volunteers will team up next week with staff from the Des Moines school district to extend a simple, but heartfelt, message to disengaged students: We want you back.
LISD begins 'Expectation Graduation'
NBC11, Lubbock, TX – September 15, 2012
For the third year in a row, Lubbock Independent School District is taking the fight against drop outs to the street. Groups of LISD teachers and volunteers went to the homes of kids who have dropped out of school to try and talk them into coming back.
Juvenile Justice
Families Unlocking Futures: Solutions to the Crisis in Juvenile Justice
Youth Today – September 13, 2012
In 2001, my 13-year-old son, Corey, was sent to what the New York Times called “the worst juvenile prison in the country.” What crime had he committed that earned him this hellish journey to the Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth in Louisiana? He stole a $300 stereo out of pick up after he smashed out the window with a crowbar. His sentence was five years in one of the most brutal facilities in the United States. The families of children who are system involved are often thought of as lazy, uneducated, uncaring or worse. But a new report by Justice for Families (J4F) gives us a much different picture of families and relies on substantial data rather than outdated myths and stereotypes.
N.J. court makes it harder to try kids as adults
CourierPostOnline.com, Trenton, NJ – September 12, 2012
A divided state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that county prosecutors must adhere to a higher standard when they seek to try juvenile defendants in adult court. The 3-2 ruling by the high court stems from a case in which three juveniles were accused of beating and robbing a Woodbridge man in 2009.
Foster Care
New Social Network Aims to Fill Void Left by Foster Care System
Mashable – September 10, 2012
The Camellia Network, a social network launched over the summer, wants to provide young people who age out of the foster care system with the support and resources of a family. When foster children turn 18 (or 21 in a few states), the system stops providing them housing if they have not been permanently adopted by a family. This adds up to roughly 30,000 teens and young adults being kicked out of their homes each year, with slim or no resources to get on their feet and begin adulthood.
The Courtyard housing project unveiled
The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN – September 11, 2012
Three organizations teamed up to propose a $5.2 million facility designed to help stop young adults leaving foster care from ending up homeless. The Courtyard of Fort Wayne was unveiled Monday before community members, government and housing officials. Under a mostly federally funded project, the 36-unit residence plans to provide housing to young adults who “age out” of the foster care system at 18.
Teen Pregnancy
YWCA to tackle teen pregnancy in Allen County
The Lima News, Allen County, OH – September 10, 2012
After assessing the needs of Allen County, the YWCA of Northwest Ohio is ready to tackle its first issue. It wants to start with teen pregnancy and is committing $100,000 to do so. “The unanimous vote of the board was that in order to make a great impact in the community, we wanted to start with teen pregnancy,” Lisa McDuffiie, of the Northwest Ohio YWCA, told the Allen County Family and Children First Council on Monday.
Houston-area school districts adopt new take on sex ed
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – September 13, 2012
Some Houston-area school districts are shifting away from traditional abstinence-only sex education classes this school year, part of a statewide trend that has prompted concern among some parents that kids are learning too much, too soon about sex.
LAUSD Reaches Out To Bring Dropout Students Back To School
CBS2, Los Angeles, CA – September 14, 2012
Members of the Los Angeles Unified School District launched the fifth annual Student Recovery Day Friday morning. “Our whole community is coming together,” LAUSD board member Steve Zimmer said. “We are not complete without you, we want to know why you left and we want to help you come back.”
Schools come knocking to re-enroll dropouts
Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA – September 12, 2012
Community volunteers will team up next week with staff from the Des Moines school district to extend a simple, but heartfelt, message to disengaged students: We want you back.
LISD begins 'Expectation Graduation'
NBC11, Lubbock, TX – September 15, 2012
For the third year in a row, Lubbock Independent School District is taking the fight against drop outs to the street. Groups of LISD teachers and volunteers went to the homes of kids who have dropped out of school to try and talk them into coming back.
Juvenile Justice
Families Unlocking Futures: Solutions to the Crisis in Juvenile Justice
Youth Today – September 13, 2012
In 2001, my 13-year-old son, Corey, was sent to what the New York Times called “the worst juvenile prison in the country.” What crime had he committed that earned him this hellish journey to the Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth in Louisiana? He stole a $300 stereo out of pick up after he smashed out the window with a crowbar. His sentence was five years in one of the most brutal facilities in the United States. The families of children who are system involved are often thought of as lazy, uneducated, uncaring or worse. But a new report by Justice for Families (J4F) gives us a much different picture of families and relies on substantial data rather than outdated myths and stereotypes.
N.J. court makes it harder to try kids as adults
CourierPostOnline.com, Trenton, NJ – September 12, 2012
A divided state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that county prosecutors must adhere to a higher standard when they seek to try juvenile defendants in adult court. The 3-2 ruling by the high court stems from a case in which three juveniles were accused of beating and robbing a Woodbridge man in 2009.
Foster Care
New Social Network Aims to Fill Void Left by Foster Care System
Mashable – September 10, 2012
The Camellia Network, a social network launched over the summer, wants to provide young people who age out of the foster care system with the support and resources of a family. When foster children turn 18 (or 21 in a few states), the system stops providing them housing if they have not been permanently adopted by a family. This adds up to roughly 30,000 teens and young adults being kicked out of their homes each year, with slim or no resources to get on their feet and begin adulthood.
The Courtyard housing project unveiled
The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN – September 11, 2012
Three organizations teamed up to propose a $5.2 million facility designed to help stop young adults leaving foster care from ending up homeless. The Courtyard of Fort Wayne was unveiled Monday before community members, government and housing officials. Under a mostly federally funded project, the 36-unit residence plans to provide housing to young adults who “age out” of the foster care system at 18.
Teen Pregnancy
YWCA to tackle teen pregnancy in Allen County
The Lima News, Allen County, OH – September 10, 2012
After assessing the needs of Allen County, the YWCA of Northwest Ohio is ready to tackle its first issue. It wants to start with teen pregnancy and is committing $100,000 to do so. “The unanimous vote of the board was that in order to make a great impact in the community, we wanted to start with teen pregnancy,” Lisa McDuffiie, of the Northwest Ohio YWCA, told the Allen County Family and Children First Council on Monday.
Houston-area school districts adopt new take on sex ed
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – September 13, 2012
Some Houston-area school districts are shifting away from traditional abstinence-only sex education classes this school year, part of a statewide trend that has prompted concern among some parents that kids are learning too much, too soon about sex.
Monday, September 10, 2012
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Teams to visit school dropouts
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – September 4, 2012
Some faculty members and volunteers from Westbury, Bellaire and Lamar high schools are among those gearing up for the Houston school district's ninth annual "Grads Within Reach" program in which they walk to visit high school dropouts to encourage them to get back in school and graduate.
Help cut dropout rate for students via JAG program
News-Sentinel, Indiana – September 8, 2012
Indiana has a 27 percent high school droput rate. That means on your street alone, there are likely one or two students who won't earn a diploma, putting them at a significant disadvantage. CANI is part of the solution through a new youth-focused program. The objective of JAG (Jobs For America's Graduates) is to help high school juniors and seniors at risk of not graduating to get back on track and graduate.
Immigrant Students Beat U.S.-Born in NYC High School Graduation
San Francisco Chronicle, New York, NY – September 5, 2012
Immigrants were more likely to graduate from New York City high schools than U.S.-born students in 2009, according to the city’s Independent Budget Office.
Juvenile Justice
Youth court fall juror training set
The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA – September 7, 2012
Riverside Youth Court is an innovative approach to juvenile justice and acts as an early intervention for first-time offenders of misdemeanor crimes. It is designed to give youth between the ages of 10 and 17, who have broken the law and admitted their guilt, a second chance.
Foster Care
Mentoring program aids teens ‘aged out’ of foster care
Pine Island Eagle, Florida – September 8, 2012
Turning 18 is a milestone birthday for any teen but for youths in foster care, it's also a sharp line in the sand. Teens "age out" of foster care when they become legal adults and, while there are some continuing services available, too many find themselves on their own - and ill-prepared for that transition. That's where Footsteps to the Future, a local not-for-profit, steps in.
LCCC gets grant to help at-risk students
The Telegraph, Illinois – September 3, 2012
A federal grant will enable a local college to serve more at-risk students in a comprehensive alternative education program that literally builds futures.
Teen Pregnancy
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign
Gaston Gazette, North Carolina – September 8, 2012
A teen mom shouldn’t depend on her baby’s daddy to help raise their child. Eight out of 10 dads don’t stay with the teen mothers of their children, said Diana Willman, coordinator for the health department’s Teen Pregnancy Program, a parenting program for teen mothers.
TV Writers Script Safe Sex 'Product Placement'
NPR – September 6, 2012
For an egregious example of a silly product placement, look no further than the CW show The Vampire Diaries, where a character actually says "I Bing'd it" of a search online. But believe it or not, product placement can actually be serious and socially conscious.
Teams to visit school dropouts
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – September 4, 2012
Some faculty members and volunteers from Westbury, Bellaire and Lamar high schools are among those gearing up for the Houston school district's ninth annual "Grads Within Reach" program in which they walk to visit high school dropouts to encourage them to get back in school and graduate.
Help cut dropout rate for students via JAG program
News-Sentinel, Indiana – September 8, 2012
Indiana has a 27 percent high school droput rate. That means on your street alone, there are likely one or two students who won't earn a diploma, putting them at a significant disadvantage. CANI is part of the solution through a new youth-focused program. The objective of JAG (Jobs For America's Graduates) is to help high school juniors and seniors at risk of not graduating to get back on track and graduate.
Immigrant Students Beat U.S.-Born in NYC High School Graduation
San Francisco Chronicle, New York, NY – September 5, 2012
Immigrants were more likely to graduate from New York City high schools than U.S.-born students in 2009, according to the city’s Independent Budget Office.
Juvenile Justice
Youth court fall juror training set
The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, CA – September 7, 2012
Riverside Youth Court is an innovative approach to juvenile justice and acts as an early intervention for first-time offenders of misdemeanor crimes. It is designed to give youth between the ages of 10 and 17, who have broken the law and admitted their guilt, a second chance.
Foster Care
Mentoring program aids teens ‘aged out’ of foster care
Pine Island Eagle, Florida – September 8, 2012
Turning 18 is a milestone birthday for any teen but for youths in foster care, it's also a sharp line in the sand. Teens "age out" of foster care when they become legal adults and, while there are some continuing services available, too many find themselves on their own - and ill-prepared for that transition. That's where Footsteps to the Future, a local not-for-profit, steps in.
LCCC gets grant to help at-risk students
The Telegraph, Illinois – September 3, 2012
A federal grant will enable a local college to serve more at-risk students in a comprehensive alternative education program that literally builds futures.
Teen Pregnancy
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign
Gaston Gazette, North Carolina – September 8, 2012
A teen mom shouldn’t depend on her baby’s daddy to help raise their child. Eight out of 10 dads don’t stay with the teen mothers of their children, said Diana Willman, coordinator for the health department’s Teen Pregnancy Program, a parenting program for teen mothers.
TV Writers Script Safe Sex 'Product Placement'
NPR – September 6, 2012
For an egregious example of a silly product placement, look no further than the CW show The Vampire Diaries, where a character actually says "I Bing'd it" of a search online. But believe it or not, product placement can actually be serious and socially conscious.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
This Week's News: Youth in Transition
Education
Walk to target dropouts
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – August 28, 2012
Some faculty members and volunteers from Lee High School are among those gearing up for the Houston school district's ninth annual "Grads Within Reach" program in which they walk to visit high school dropouts to encourage them to get back in school and graduate.
Program reaches out to those who haven't graduated
WCF Courier, Waterloo, IA – September 2, 2012
The three volunteers knocked on the door, not knowing if anyone would be home. When a woman in a bathrobe finally answered the door, they apologized for their early interruption around 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
New school gives dropouts a second chance at graduation
WRAL, Durham, NC – August 27, 2012
For students at the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academy, the traditional trek back to school Monday was anything but routine.
Juvenile Justice
Following a New Roadmap to Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, August 31, 2012
These days are exciting ones for youth justice in the United States. Several factors have come together to influence the evolution of the field, including the economic downturn, a recognition that traditional models have failed, and a wide variety of new alternatives.
Juveniles entitled to hearing before being moved to state prison, N.J. court panel rules
NJ.com, Trenton, NJ – August 28, 2012
Unruly juveniles housed at any of the state's facilities for young offenders are entitled to a hearing before they're transferred to a state prison, a state appeals court panel ruled today.
Foster Care
Labor Department Announces $75 Million in Education Grants for ‘Out of School’ ‘Youth’ Ages 16-24
CNSNews.com – August 31, 2012
Labor Secretary of Hilda Solis announced on Wednesday that $75.7 million in grants are being distributed to organizations that help “out of school youth” earn a high school diploma and learn occupational skills.
$1.1M BCC grant builds job skills of at-risk youth
Florida Today, Florida – August 30, 2012
A Brevard Community College program that helps at-risk youth earn a high school diploma or GED, as well as develop job skills, will continue thanks to a $1.1 million grant announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor. Across the nation, many participants have been in the juvenile justice system, are aging out of foster care or have dropped out of high school.
Teen Pregnancy
Teens Say Parents Most Influence Their Decisions About Sex
The Sacramento Bee, Washington, DC – August 28, 2012
Teens say that parents (38%) most influence their decisions about sex—more than peers (22%), the media (9%), teachers and educators (4%), and others, according to a new survey commissioned by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) young people surveyed also say that it would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.
Advocacy group gives teen moms support
The Journal, Martinsburg, WV – August 29, 2012
Jill Bevins and Shayla Plowden-Smallwood might not look they would have a common bond at first sight. Bevins is in her 30s and a mother of three. Shayla is 20 and also a mother. Both became pregnant with their first child when they were teenagers. YoungLives, a faith-based, non-denominational ministry to teen mothers in the Eastern Panhandle, works to provide young mothers with resources and support.
Walk to target dropouts
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX – August 28, 2012
Some faculty members and volunteers from Lee High School are among those gearing up for the Houston school district's ninth annual "Grads Within Reach" program in which they walk to visit high school dropouts to encourage them to get back in school and graduate.
Program reaches out to those who haven't graduated
WCF Courier, Waterloo, IA – September 2, 2012
The three volunteers knocked on the door, not knowing if anyone would be home. When a woman in a bathrobe finally answered the door, they apologized for their early interruption around 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
New school gives dropouts a second chance at graduation
WRAL, Durham, NC – August 27, 2012
For students at the Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academy, the traditional trek back to school Monday was anything but routine.
Juvenile Justice
Following a New Roadmap to Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, August 31, 2012
These days are exciting ones for youth justice in the United States. Several factors have come together to influence the evolution of the field, including the economic downturn, a recognition that traditional models have failed, and a wide variety of new alternatives.
Juveniles entitled to hearing before being moved to state prison, N.J. court panel rules
NJ.com, Trenton, NJ – August 28, 2012
Unruly juveniles housed at any of the state's facilities for young offenders are entitled to a hearing before they're transferred to a state prison, a state appeals court panel ruled today.
Foster Care
Labor Department Announces $75 Million in Education Grants for ‘Out of School’ ‘Youth’ Ages 16-24
CNSNews.com – August 31, 2012
Labor Secretary of Hilda Solis announced on Wednesday that $75.7 million in grants are being distributed to organizations that help “out of school youth” earn a high school diploma and learn occupational skills.
$1.1M BCC grant builds job skills of at-risk youth
Florida Today, Florida – August 30, 2012
A Brevard Community College program that helps at-risk youth earn a high school diploma or GED, as well as develop job skills, will continue thanks to a $1.1 million grant announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor. Across the nation, many participants have been in the juvenile justice system, are aging out of foster care or have dropped out of high school.
Teen Pregnancy
Teens Say Parents Most Influence Their Decisions About Sex
The Sacramento Bee, Washington, DC – August 28, 2012
Teens say that parents (38%) most influence their decisions about sex—more than peers (22%), the media (9%), teachers and educators (4%), and others, according to a new survey commissioned by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Nearly 9 in 10 (87%) young people surveyed also say that it would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents.
Advocacy group gives teen moms support
The Journal, Martinsburg, WV – August 29, 2012
Jill Bevins and Shayla Plowden-Smallwood might not look they would have a common bond at first sight. Bevins is in her 30s and a mother of three. Shayla is 20 and also a mother. Both became pregnant with their first child when they were teenagers. YoungLives, a faith-based, non-denominational ministry to teen mothers in the Eastern Panhandle, works to provide young mothers with resources and support.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)