NYCC Update Volume 2 Number 10


Volume 4, No. 10	October 11, 2006
Encourage others to subscribe! Forward this message to others you think would be interested so they can subscribe to the NYCC Update. Announcements First Lady Laura Bush Visits Colonie Youth Court Program On October 4, 2006, while First Lady Laura Bush was in the Capital Region of New York campaigning for a local Congressman, she visited the Colonie Youth Court Program in Latham, NY to observe a mock trial. While there she also talked with some of the youth court volunteers and defendants about their experiences with the program. Ms. Bush visited the program as part of her lead role in “Helping America’s Youth.” Helping America’s Youth is a nationwide effort designed to raise awareness of the challenges facing young people today, particularly at-risk boys. For more information on Helping America’s Youth, go to http://www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/. To view articles and photos about First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to the Colonie Youth Court, go to In The News. U.S. Senate Passes Resolution Recognizing National Youth Court Month On September 25, 2006, the United States Senate passed a resolution acknowledging September 2006 as National Youth Court Month. To read a copy of the resolution click on the hyperlink below, or copy and paste the following URL in your browser. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.RES.583: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to Take Over Lead Role in Federal Youth Court Program On November 1, 2006 the Council of State Governments/American Probation and Parole Association (CSG/APPA) ends its formal role in administering the National Youth Court Center Project funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) will be taking the lead, with support from OJJDP, in maintaining www.youthcourt.net, producing future issues of In Session and the Youth Court E-Update, and coordinating training and technical assistance. While the names of organizations and contact persons may change—the services and products provided by the Federal Youth Court Program on behalf of OJJDP and its federal partner agencies will not. CSG/APPA has been working closely with OJJDP and NCJFCJ to assure a smooth transition or products and services. Continue to log on to www.youthcourt.net often to get updates on youth court issues and training opportunities. National Youth Court Task Force Meets in San Diego The National Youth Court Task Force, which is working on strengthening the capacity of state youth court associations and establishing a National Association of Youth Courts will meet in San Diego, CA on October 15-17, 2006. Funding for this meeting is being provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program. Training and Technical Assistance Opportunities IL Youth Court Association Summit The Illinois Youth Court Association’s Professional Development and Networking Summit will be held on November 1-2, 2006 in Decatur, IL. For more information, contact Theresa Geary at 312-814-0991 or via email at tgeary@atg.state.il.us. 2006 Teen Court Association of Texas Conference The 2006 Teen Court Association of Texas Annual Conference will be held November 7-10 in McAllen, TX. For more information, call 956-686-2471 or go to http://www.texasteencourt.com/conf_info_reg_agenda.aspx. Seminar Offers Training for School Resource Officers and Community Police On December 11-13, 2006, in Las Vegas, NV, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will sponsor a national training seminar for school resource officers and community police under its Youth for Justice Partnership. Hosted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation and Street Law, the seminar is designed for school resource officers and community police who work with youth, as well as teachers and administrators. Participants will be provided with curriculum materials and activities to engage students in learning about issues related to law enforcement and public safety. The registration deadline is November 1, 2006, but as space is limited, early registration is recommended. For more information or to register, go to http://www.crf-usa.org/ojjdp/sro.htm. Funding Opportunities Grants Support Volunteer Service for High-Risk and Gang-Involved Youth With funding from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Youth Service America has launched its YouthRising Program. The program offers grants up to $2,000 to support projects that engage high-risk and gang-involved youth in volunteer service. Eligible organizations must have documented success in prevention or intervention work with such youth. A significant portion of the project must take place on National and Global Youth Service Day, April 20-27, 2007. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m., E.T., October 12, 2006. State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant Youth Service America and the State Farm Companies Foundation are offering the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant for youth across the United States. These grants of up to $1,000 support youth (ages 5-25), teachers, or school-based service-learning coordinators in implementing service-learning projects for National and Global Youth Service Day (http://ga1.org/ct/f7M4-6s1IqFa/NYSD), April 20-22, 2007. To learn more, download an application and grant guidelines at http://ga1.org/ct/d1M4-6s1WPD8/Awards or email GoodNeighbor@ysa.org. Projects can address any number of themes including the environment, disaster relief, health, youth traffic safety and other teen issues, education, interfaith dialogue, intergenerational relationships, homelessness, and literacy, amongst others. Postmark deadline: Monday, October 16, 2006. Publications and Resources Law Day 2007 Theme Announced! The 2007 Law Day theme (Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy) prompts us to listen to the voices of young people and consider how the law can better serve their needs and interests. It also encourages us to assure that our youth are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively make their voices heard within our democracy. Time to get started on your Law Day planning! Sign up to receive a free Law Day Planning Guide (published December 2006) by logging onto www.lawday.org, your one-stop source for Law Day information, tips, and promotional materials. State and Local Celebrations of National Youth Court Month Alaska Mat-Su Youth Court The Mat-Su Youth Court is celebrating its ten year anniversary this year. It publicized this anniversary to the community during National Youth Court Month. In addition, in an effort to recruit new volunteers, the program held mock sentencing hearings in its local shopping mall; featured a display, posters/phrases/collage of pictures in its local courthouse to show off ten years of students handling real cases of their peers in the courthouse; and broadcasted radio spots letting the public know about its ten year anniversary. Lastly, they created a scrapbook of pictures from over the years to give to the family of Jim Messick (the founder of the program). The scrapbook was presented to his family during their fall volunteer class graduation. North Star Youth Court North Star Youth Court in Fairbanks, Alaska conducted a mock trial clinic for current attorneys and interested community members as part of its National Youth Court Month festivities. The event was advertised via PSA's promoting National Youth Court Month. The program also held its annual meeting of the Board of Directors. At the meeting the following awards were presented: • Volunteer Recognition: Melissa Allen, Timothy Armstrong, Danny Powers, Emily Schooley, Tisha Simmons (adult Board member), Jim Cannon (volunteer Legal Advisor) • Rookie Attorney: Ruth Kaplan, Renee Langworthy, Meghan Packee • Attorney of the Year: Alysha Childs, Patrick Trometter • Mediator Corps Exceptional Volunteer: Geoff Bacon, Shanail Mangrum, Tyler Nelson, Matt Stolzberg, Alysha Childs, Domenik Davis • Mediator (Peacemaker) of the Year: Brenna Carlson • Rookie Mediator of the Year (Biggest Splash): Chloe Leach Youth volunteers also received case pins denoting the amount of cases they participated on (i.e., ten, twenty-five or fifty). Florida Lake County Teen Court The Lake County, FL Teen Court program celebrated National Youth Court month by presenting a proclamation in support of youth courts by the Board of County Commissioners, increasing volunteer recruitment efforts, conducting volunteer training sessions, hosting a Volunteer Recognition Party (the 2006 theme is a LUAU--Let Us Appreciate U; and publishing stories and announcements about the program through various media outlets. Georgia Dublin-Laurens County Teen Court Dublin-Laurens County Teen Court conducted observational survey seatbelt checks at each local high school and distributed coupons to each student driver that was buckled up appropriately. This project was used to promote traffic safety and seatbelt safety among our teenage drivers. Teen court student volunteers and school organizations assisted in this project. Kentucky Madison County Teen Court The Mayors of Berea, KY and Richmond, KY as well as the Madison County Judge-Executive were invited to watch the Madison County teen Court perform a Mock Trial on September 6^th. While there, they also signed proclamations for National Youth Court Month. Louisiana 9^th Judicial Circuit National Youth Court Month plans included a massive teen volunteer recruitment drive. This year they attempted to get all parish principals to excuse teen court volunteers from school on Friday, September 8, 2006 for a day long training. Fortunately, two schools have law magnet programs as well as their own courtrooms. The Alexandria Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division provided lunch on the day long training along with their expertise. The Young Lawyer’s volunteer throughout the year as our judges. The 9^th Judicial Circuit also worked with the local mall to set up an information booth. New York Warren County Youth Court The Warren County Youth Court Program set aside September 28^th for the National Youth Court Day. They presented some facts about Youth Court and hosted a mock trail that was open to the public. They also recognized their volunteers who worked so hard to get the program up and running. Livingston County Youth Court The Livingston County Youth Court conducted a mock hearing on September 25th for National Youth Court Month. South Carolina South Carolina Youth Court Association In honor of National Youth Court Month, the South Carolina Youth Court Association sponsored its first Statewide Youth Summit and Training Seminar on September 30, 2006. There were tracks for youth and adult volunteers. As part of the celebration they held a luncheon and invited stakeholders. Tennessee The Tennessee Youth Court Program held a Youth Court Day for teens involved in youth and teen courts on Saturday September 30, 2006. The event was conducted at Wilson Central High School and offered sessions that teen court members chose by voting online. Session options included a variety of topics such as dating violence, student rights at school, negotiation skills and female offenders. Texas Wichita County Teen Court The Wichita County Teen Court located in Wichita Falls, Texas conducted a massive recruitment drive in the local middle and high schools in the area as well as an annual training of volunteers. The board of directors had a fundraiser dinner at a live dinner theatre. In addition, they hosted a booth at the local Fall Fest—an annual event where beads were provided as prizes. Utah Salt Lake Peer Court Salt Lake Peer Court held its annual Swearing-In Ceremony on September 12, 2006 for 90 youth volunteers and their families. Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez spoke and conducted the swearing-in. There also was one student speaker. City officials and other stakeholders were invited to attend this evening ceremony. In The News The following news articles on youth courts are among those that appeared online in the month of September. For a listing of other past news articles related to youth courts, please visit “In the News” section of the NYCC website. Some of the postings on this site include: 09-20-06: Washington County Youth Court training begins tonight http://www.examiner-enterprise.com/articles/2006/09/19/news/1872.txt 09-16-06: Local teen courts offer youth peer-based justice http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060916/NEWS01/609160359/1002/NEWS 09-05-06: Juveniles tried in teen courts http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20060905-9999-1m5teencrt.html 09-04-06: Vital lessons learned in youth court http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17139716&BRD=1382&PAG=461&dept_id=161822&rfi=6 09-02-06: Errant teens accept judgment meted out by court of peers http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base /summit/115718587142370.xml&coll=2 We are always interested in your comments and ideas. Please contact us. Have things you would like us to include in future issues of the NYCC Update? Click here.	Sponsored by: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Operated by: American Probation and Parole Association Department of Education You can print 8-1/2 x 11 versions of your choice of poster on your own color printer. Great for posting on bulletin boards or using as flyers! To access the .PDF click on the picture of the poster version you are interested in from the four versions shown below, or go to www.youthcourt.net. (Youth Court) (Teen Court) (Peer Court) (Student Court) Encourage Others to Join the more than 4,200 persons who receive the NYCC Update each month! 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
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Encourage others to subscribe! Forward this message to others you think would be interested so they can subscribe to the NYCC Update.

First Lady Laura Bush Visits Colonie Youth Court Program

On October 4, 2006, while First Lady Laura Bush was in the Capital Region of New York campaigning for a local Congressman, she visited the Colonie Youth Court Program in Latham, NY to observe a mock trial. While there she also talked with some of the youth court volunteers and defendants about their experiences with the program. Ms. Bush visited the program as part of her lead role in “Helping America’s Youth.” Helping America’s Youth is a nationwide effort designed to raise awareness of the challenges facing young people today, particularly at-risk boys. For more information on Helping America’s Youth, go to http://www.helpingamericasyouth.gov/.

To view articles and photos about First Lady Laura Bush’s visit to the Colonie Youth Court, go to In The News.

On September 25, 2006, the United States Senate passed a resolution acknowledging September 2006 as National Youth Court Month. To read a copy of the resolution click on the hyperlink below, or copy and paste the following URL in your browser. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.RES.583:

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to Take Over Lead Role in Federal Youth Court Program

On November 1, 2006 the Council of State Governments/American Probation and Parole Association (CSG/APPA) ends its formal role in administering the National Youth Court Center Project funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) will be taking the lead, with support from OJJDP, in maintaining www.youthcourt.net, producing future issues of In Session and the Youth Court E-Update, and coordinating training and technical assistance.

While the names of organizations and contact persons may change—the services and products provided by the Federal Youth Court Program on behalf of OJJDP and its federal partner agencies will not. CSG/APPA has been working closely with OJJDP and NCJFCJ to assure a smooth transition or products and services. Continue to log on to www.youthcourt.net often to get updates on youth court issues and training opportunities.

The National Youth Court Task Force, which is working on strengthening the capacity of state youth court associations and establishing a National Association of Youth Courts will meet in San Diego, CA on October 15-17, 2006. Funding for this meeting is being provided by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Program.

Training and Technical Assistance Opportunities

IL Youth Court Association Summit

The Illinois Youth Court Association’s Professional Development and Networking Summit will be held on November 1-2, 2006 in Decatur, IL. For more information, contact Theresa Geary at 312-814-0991 or via email at tgeary@atg.state.il.us.

On December 11-13, 2006, in Las Vegas, NV, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention will sponsor a national training seminar for school resource officers and community police under its Youth for Justice Partnership. Hosted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation and Street Law, the seminar is designed for school resource officers and community police who work with youth, as well as teachers and administrators. Participants will be provided with curriculum materials and activities to engage students in learning about issues related to law enforcement and public safety.

The registration deadline is November 1, 2006, but as space is limited, early registration is recommended. For more information or to register, go to http://www.crf-usa.org/ojjdp/sro.htm.

Funding Opportunities

Grants Support Volunteer Service for High-Risk and Gang-Involved Youth

Youth Service America and the State Farm Companies Foundation are offering the State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Grant for youth across the United States. These grants of up to $1,000 support youth (ages 5-25), teachers, or school-based service-learning coordinators in implementing service-learning projects for National and Global Youth Service Day (http://ga1.org/ct/f7M4-6s1IqFa/NYSD), April 20-22, 2007. To learn more, download an application and grant guidelines at http://ga1.org/ct/d1M4-6s1WPD8/Awards or email GoodNeighbor@ysa.org. Projects can address any number of themes including the environment, disaster relief, health, youth traffic safety and other teen issues, education, interfaith dialogue, intergenerational relationships, homelessness, and literacy, amongst others. Postmark deadline: Monday, October 16, 2006.

The 2007 Law Day theme (Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy) prompts us to listen to the voices of young people and consider how the law can better serve their needs and interests. It also encourages us to assure that our youth are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively make their voices heard within our democracy. Time to get started on your Law Day planning! Sign up to receive a free Law Day Planning Guide (published December 2006) by logging onto www.lawday.org, your one-stop source for Law Day information, tips, and promotional materials.

The Mat-Su Youth Court is celebrating its ten year anniversary this year. It publicized this anniversary to the community during National Youth Court Month. In addition, in an effort to recruit new volunteers, the program held mock sentencing hearings in its local shopping mall; featured a display, posters/phrases/collage of pictures in its local courthouse to show off ten years of students handling real cases of their peers in the courthouse; and broadcasted radio spots letting the public know about its ten year anniversary. Lastly, they created a scrapbook of pictures from over the years to give to the family of Jim Messick (the founder of the program). The scrapbook was presented to his family during their fall volunteer class graduation.

North Star Youth Court

North Star Youth Court in Fairbanks, Alaska conducted a mock trial clinic for current attorneys and interested community members as part of its National Youth Court Month festivities. The event was advertised via PSA's promoting National Youth Court Month. The program also held its annual meeting of the Board of Directors. At the meeting the following awards were presented:

• Volunteer Recognition: Melissa Allen, Timothy Armstrong, Danny
Powers, Emily Schooley, Tisha Simmons (adult Board member), Jim
Cannon (volunteer Legal Advisor)
• Rookie Attorney: Ruth Kaplan, Renee Langworthy, Meghan Packee
• Attorney of the Year: Alysha Childs, Patrick Trometter
• Mediator Corps Exceptional Volunteer: Geoff Bacon, Shanail
Mangrum, Tyler Nelson, Matt Stolzberg, Alysha Childs, Domenik Davis
• Mediator (Peacemaker) of the Year: Brenna Carlson
• Rookie Mediator of the Year (Biggest Splash): Chloe Leach

Youth volunteers also received case pins denoting the amount of cases they participated on (i.e., ten, twenty-five or fifty).

Florida

Lake County Teen Court

The Lake County, FL Teen Court program celebrated National Youth Court month by presenting a proclamation in support of youth courts by the Board of County Commissioners, increasing volunteer recruitment efforts, conducting volunteer training sessions, hosting a Volunteer Recognition Party (the 2006 theme is a LUAU--Let Us Appreciate U; and publishing stories and announcements about the program through various media outlets.

Dublin-Laurens County Teen Court conducted observational survey seatbelt checks at each local high school and distributed coupons to each student driver that was buckled up appropriately. This project was used to promote traffic safety and seatbelt safety among our teenage drivers. Teen court student volunteers and school organizations assisted in this project.

The Mayors of Berea, KY and Richmond, KY as well as the Madison County Judge-Executive were invited to watch the Madison County teen Court perform a Mock Trial on September 6^th. While there, they also signed proclamations for National Youth Court Month.

National Youth Court Month plans included a massive teen volunteer recruitment drive. This year they attempted to get all parish principals to excuse teen court volunteers from school on Friday, September 8, 2006 for a day long training. Fortunately, two schools have law magnet programs as well as their own courtrooms. The Alexandria Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division provided lunch on the day long training along with their expertise. The Young Lawyer’s volunteer throughout the year as our judges. The 9^th Judicial Circuit also worked with the local mall to set up an information booth.

The Warren County Youth Court Program set aside September 28^th for the National Youth Court Day. They presented some facts about Youth Court and hosted a mock trail that was open to the public. They also recognized their volunteers who worked so hard to get the program up and running.

The Livingston County Youth Court conducted a mock hearing on September 25th for National Youth Court Month.

In honor of National Youth Court Month, the South Carolina Youth Court Association sponsored its first Statewide Youth Summit and Training Seminar on September 30, 2006. There were tracks for youth and adult volunteers. As part of the celebration they held a luncheon and invited stakeholders.

The Tennessee Youth Court Program held a Youth Court Day for teens involved in youth and teen courts on Saturday September 30, 2006. The event was conducted at Wilson Central High School and offered sessions that teen court members chose by voting online. Session options included a variety of topics such as dating violence, student rights at school, negotiation skills and female offenders.

The Wichita County Teen Court located in Wichita Falls, Texas conducted a massive recruitment drive in the local middle and high schools in the area as well as an annual training of volunteers. The board of directors had a fundraiser dinner at a live dinner theatre. In addition, they hosted a booth at the local Fall Fest—an annual event where beads were provided as prizes.

Salt Lake Peer Court held its annual Swearing-In Ceremony on September 12, 2006 for 90 youth volunteers and their families. Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Valdez spoke and conducted the swearing-in. There also was one student speaker. City officials and other stakeholders were invited to attend this evening ceremony.