Volume 2, No. 4

 April 1, 2004

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Training and Technical Assistance Opportunities               

Implementing and Enhancing Youth Court Programs

The National Youth Court Center will be conducting three regional/national training seminars.  Each seminar will consist of a new program track for jurisdictions interested in establishing youth court programs and an advanced program track for existing youth courts that want to enhance their knowledge and skills.  You can register online at www.youthcourt.net or contact the NYCC at 859-244-8193 or via email at youthcourt@ncjfcj.org for a registration brochure.  Seminars will be held in:

• Philadelphia, PA:  May 17-19, 2004
   

• Louisville, KY: July 12-14, 2004
   

• Portland, OR: September 27-29, 2004

Space is limited in each training seminar and slots are filling up fast.  So…don’t delay!  Register early.

Effective Training for Youth Involved in Youth Courts

This seminar, conducted by Street Law, Inc. and sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and the National Youth Court Center, is designed to provide participants with materials and resources to help them define, develop, and implement effective training programs for the young people involved in their youth courts, and to help youth court administrators build capacity by creating or improving partnerships with local resource people who will help train young people involved in youth courts.  For more information on this seminar, go to: http://www.youthcourt.net/training_ta/2004/StreetLaw_Seminar.htm  or contact Lena Morreale Scott or Jess Pinder at Street Law, Inc. at
301-589-1130.

Announcements

Twenty-five Youth Courts Receive Law Day Mini-Grants from the ABA

Twenty-five youth courts have been awarded Law Day Mini-Grants in the amount of $250 from the American Bar Association (ABA) Division for Public Education to support Law Day activities.  Youth courts plan to use mini-grant funds to offer court tours, educational programs, mock trials and other programs that will help people understand and appreciate our legal system and the role it plays in preserving our freedoms as Americans.  

Although no more Law Day mini-grants are available from the ABA through this special program, all youth courts are encouraged to plan their own Law Day activities.  For more information about Law Day and Law Day program ideas, see the Law Day Web site at www.lawday.org.

National Youth Service Day (April 16-18, 2004)

National Youth Service Day (NYSD) is the largest service event in the world, mobilizing millions of young Americans to identify and address the needs of their communities through service. National Youth Service Day is also an opportunity to support youth on a life-long path of service and civic engagement, and educate the public, the media and elected officials about the role of youth as community leaders.  More than 55 youth courts received mini-grants from the National Youth Court Center to participate in this event.  We encourage all youth courts to get involved!  Go to http://www.ysa.org/nysd/ and learn more about NYSD. 

World Health Day

The World Health Organization (WHO) has selected road traffic safety as the theme for World Health Day 2004.  April 7, 2004 kicks off a year of activities and events around the world focusing on road traffic safety.  The U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are collaborating with other U.S. agencies and non-governmental organizations to promote this effort.  Many youth courts respond to traffic safety issues, so we encourage you to learn more about this public awareness campaign and use youth court as a vehicle for getting information out to young people and other citizens.  You can find materials to assist in organizing events at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/WHD/pages/index2.htm.

Other Public Awareness Campaigns in April

There are a variety of public awareness campaigns in April that can be used as a starting point for youth court community service-learning projects or educational workshops.  Some of the campaigns in April include:

Alcohol Awareness Month

Child Abuse Prevention Month

National Alcohol Screening Day (April 8, 2004)

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (April 18-24, 2004)

Click on each campaign to learn more and access helpful resources to help you plan community service events or educational classes for youth court volunteers and respondents!

Kudos

New Teen Court Program

Congratulations to the Williamson County Teen Court Program in Franklin, Tennessee which held its session on March 25, 2004.  Click here to read a newspaper story on this program. http://reviewappeal.midsouthnews.com/news.ez?viewStory=20228.

Sponsored by:

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration



Operated by:



 American Probation and Parole Association


            

Attention Active Youth Court Programs!

Make sure your youth court is listed in the National Youth Court Center database.  Click here to see if your program is listed in the National Youth Court web listing and to make sure your contact information is correct.  If not, you may be missing out on receiving new publications and resources reserved especially for active youth court programs!

Youth  Recruitment Posters are Available in Youth, Teen, and Peer Court Versions
 

Poster order form

            

Encourage Others to Join!

Increase support for your youth court on a local level by keeping your local stakeholders informed of what is going on nationally in the youth court field.  

Print a copy of this issue and distribute it to your advisory committee members, board of directors, and youth volunteers. 

  Encourage them to visit www.youthcourt.net where they can register to receive a free copy.   
 

   Contact Us: 
    National Youth Court Center                                                            Phone: 859-244-8193
    c/o American Probation and Parole Association                                Fax: 859-244-8001
    P.O. Box 11910                                                                                Email: youthcourt@ncjfcj.org
    Lexington, KY  40578                                                           Main website: www.youthcourt.net 
                                                                                               Youth website: www.ycyouth.net