Juvenile Justice Topics: Practical Applications
Certificate(s): Public Interest and Social Justice Law (Skills)
Course Description:
This course is for students who would like to receive credit for volunteering for the Law Program with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a juvenile justice nonprofit with a mission to break the cycle of crime, violence, and incarceration in the lives of teens through legal education, leadership training, and one-on-one mentoring. In order to receive credit for this course, students will facilitate FLY’s law-related education (the Law Program) course for at-risk youth in teams of 2-4 facilitators. Students MUST be eligible and available to fulfill the commitment required of a volunteer facilitator in order to receive course credit. Please note that students will not receive credit for volunteering with other FLY programs.
First time volunteers may receive credit by enrolling in Juvenile Justice Topics: Practical Applications (20126)
Returning volunteers who act as the lead of a volunteer site may receive credit by enrolling in Juvenile Justice Topics: Leadership Training (20125)
FLY’s nationally recognized Law Program is a semester-long Law Related Education (LRE) and life skills course that uses role-play, debates, and mock city council hearings to capture the interest of high school-aged youth, educate them about the law and the consequences of crimes, and build skills like anger management, problem solving, communication, and resisting negative peer pressure. Highly trained volunteers and FLY staff teach the course in teams of 2-4, developing rapport with youth and giving them access to positive role models. The course covers a range of topics, including theft, vandalism, hate crimes, drugs and alcohol, the Three-Strikes Law, Proposition 21, and gangs.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Students teach at an assigned school-based or after school site for 2 hours each week for 12 weeks.
- Teach LRE Curriculum to justice involved youth
- Prepare for class by reviewing weekly lesson
- Make Weekly Phone Call to assigned youth in LRE class
- Attend required trainings, field trips, and recognition ceremony
- Inform Law Program Site Manager of any issues at LRE Site.
Requirements/Qualifications:
- 32 hours of orientation and training
- Attend a minimum of one support meeting per semester
- Must be a minimum of 21 years old.
- Must pass a criminal background check through the DOJ and FBI
- Must have a desire to connect with youth who are involved in the juvenile justice system
- Must be comfortable interacting with individuals from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Must possess strong listening skills and a heart for at-risk youth.
- Able to accept constructive criticism from youth, volunteers, and FLY staff.
- Have access to reliable transportation.
Class Notes:
Credit/No Credit.
This course is for students who would like to receive credit for volunteering for the Law Program with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a juvenile justice nonprofit with a mission to break the cycle of crime, violence, and incarceration in the lives of teens through legal education, leadership training, and one-on-one mentoring. In order to receive credit for this course, students will facilitate FLY’s law-related education (the Law Program) course for at-risk youth in teams of 2-4 facilitators. Students MUST be eligible and available to fulfill the commitment required of a volunteer facilitator in order to receive course credit. Please note that students will not receive credit for volunteering with other FLY programs.
First time volunteers may receive credit by enrolling in Juvenile Justice Topics: Practical Applications (20126)
Returning volunteers who act as the lead of a volunteer site may receive credit by enrolling in Juvenile Justice Topics: Leadership Training (20125)
Students must apply for the Facilitator position with Fresh Lifelines for Youth and be accepted as a Facilitator in order to enroll in and receive credit for the course. For questions, contact Vianni Garcia at vianni@flyprogram.org.