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Project STAND (Social - Emotional, Transition, Academic and Network Developing) is a juvenile justice program that provides a mentor-based support focusing on building relationships with the youth and their families to reduce recidivism. Project STAND creates a culture of mentorship and serves as positive role models for students while emphasizing transition and post-secondary outcomes. This program supports the district’s goal to provide equity, education and empowerment to African American Males involved in the juvenile justice system. The Project STAND Mission is to demonstrate a sustainable mentor-based model to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism for justice-involved youth through three phases: (I) Re-Entry and transition services (II) Career and technical education programs and improved post-secondary planning (III) Mentor based support for reduced recidivism.
The following are the five focus pillars for Project STAND:
1. Mentoring - Daily interaction with a mentoring to help guide young men and women through adolescence to being productive adults even though they have faced challenging environments and have been involved in the juvenile justice system. Mentoring supports academics, attendance, discipline and overall student perception regarding school.
2. Academic Assistance - Helping young men and women with high school academics by supporting them through tutoring, building relationships with school personnel, advocating for each student for all the supports possible from school administration and teachers, helping them improve overall conduct and attendance (key points in remaining employable).
3. Post-Secondary Planning - (Job Coach) Assisting young men and women with viable post-secondary planning. This supports includes completing the application and enrollment process for post-secondary education opportunities, finding and keep jobs through soft skill training, motivating students to be employable by incentivizing and supporting attendance and conduct, teaching interview skills, assisting them with obtaining certifications and supporting job shadowing.
4. Resource - Help to connect students with key stakeholders that are invested in them growing as young men and women in progress of being productive citizens. This is includes finding mental health resources and addressing childhood challenges and trauma. Additional resources include employment, support with pending court cases and assisting with early careers while they are in trade schools, community and 4-year colleges
5. Beyond Boundaries - motivating students to push past environmental and social barriers by showing them that there is life beyond their communities and after having been involved with the juvenile justice system by taking them on college tours, state attractions, community events, speaking engagements and conferences around the nation.