Important cause
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doublej
- Recruit
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- Fan Level: BYU Fanatic
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Important cause
I know I dont post here alot but Im hoping this may help. There is a company in Provo called the Adolescent Center for Talent Development. They have a fantastic approach to helping kids in states custody like DCFS or Juvenile Justice. They teach kids how to find their inner talents and help kids focus on positive activities instead of just telling them what they cant do like drugs, sex, violence, gangs etc.
They are working with the Pepsi Refresh grant are are currently 70th out of 400. The grant is up to popular vote so if you CC posters could go and vote it would really help. Those that are brave if you could tell your friends to vote that would be great as well. Go to refresheverything.com/adolescentcenterfortalentdevelopment and vote. YOu can vote once a day. You will first need to enter your email and create a password to log on later. Then vote once a day.
This is a note written by their clinical director who created the company.
Many of my FB friends have done a wonderful job supporting my cause and going to refresheverything.com and voting. I thought I would explain a little bit about why this is so important to me.
I worked my way though college working with youth who had become involved in gangs, drugs, and all sorts of other criminal behaviors. I worked in many different aspects of the business. I worked in group homes, detention centers, receiving centers, and my wife and I were foster parents for a few teenage boys. I love this type of work. I feel it is important to help these kids figure out their lives. It is also important to help keep the community safe.
In the 9 years of working in various aspects of the industry, I noticed that most programs are set up to help kids know what not to do. In fact I remember sitting in a group where the therapist taught them how to say no. It really was a good group, but it got me thinking.
I saw a lot of kids make progress and really desire to make changes in their lives. Eventually there came a day when we would discharge them back into the environment they came from. A lot of them returned to our programs. When they returned they had lost a lot of hope that their lives could be different. In an "artificial environment" they could thrive but on the "outs" it was just too hard.
Helping kids know what not to do is important. They need to have direction. But that is only half the story. I developed an idea that is basically unheard of in the field of juvenile justice. I thought that youth need to be taught and know what they CAN do. I believe that putting the emphasis on what they can do, instead of what they can't will help them develop the skills that will keep them from returning through the systems turnstyles.
My brother Jeremy and I have developed a program that will teach youth in states custody skills such as music, athletics, and arts. We will provide supervision, therapy and skills development. When youth have positive and constructive activities to be engaged with, they are less likely to become involved in delinquent and criminal activities.
The idea of teaching positive activities to youth has been validated in a scientific study. In the Kawai Longitudinal study on resilliency, the researchers followed youth on the Hawaiian island of Kawai for 40 years. The study discovered that youth who are involved in significant positive extra curricular activities are less likely to engage in destructive behaviors. I had an opportunity to meet with one of the youth followed in the study. She stated that she had all the "risk factors" that predict delinquent behaviors. She started getting into fights, and skipping school. However, she became involved in athletics and the school choir. She said that her involvement in these activities helped her to combat the forces that were pulling her in the direction of criminal activities.
I really appreciate everyone's support. This is a cause I truly believe in.
They are working with the Pepsi Refresh grant are are currently 70th out of 400. The grant is up to popular vote so if you CC posters could go and vote it would really help. Those that are brave if you could tell your friends to vote that would be great as well. Go to refresheverything.com/adolescentcenterfortalentdevelopment and vote. YOu can vote once a day. You will first need to enter your email and create a password to log on later. Then vote once a day.
This is a note written by their clinical director who created the company.
Many of my FB friends have done a wonderful job supporting my cause and going to refresheverything.com and voting. I thought I would explain a little bit about why this is so important to me.
I worked my way though college working with youth who had become involved in gangs, drugs, and all sorts of other criminal behaviors. I worked in many different aspects of the business. I worked in group homes, detention centers, receiving centers, and my wife and I were foster parents for a few teenage boys. I love this type of work. I feel it is important to help these kids figure out their lives. It is also important to help keep the community safe.
In the 9 years of working in various aspects of the industry, I noticed that most programs are set up to help kids know what not to do. In fact I remember sitting in a group where the therapist taught them how to say no. It really was a good group, but it got me thinking.
I saw a lot of kids make progress and really desire to make changes in their lives. Eventually there came a day when we would discharge them back into the environment they came from. A lot of them returned to our programs. When they returned they had lost a lot of hope that their lives could be different. In an "artificial environment" they could thrive but on the "outs" it was just too hard.
Helping kids know what not to do is important. They need to have direction. But that is only half the story. I developed an idea that is basically unheard of in the field of juvenile justice. I thought that youth need to be taught and know what they CAN do. I believe that putting the emphasis on what they can do, instead of what they can't will help them develop the skills that will keep them from returning through the systems turnstyles.
My brother Jeremy and I have developed a program that will teach youth in states custody skills such as music, athletics, and arts. We will provide supervision, therapy and skills development. When youth have positive and constructive activities to be engaged with, they are less likely to become involved in delinquent and criminal activities.
The idea of teaching positive activities to youth has been validated in a scientific study. In the Kawai Longitudinal study on resilliency, the researchers followed youth on the Hawaiian island of Kawai for 40 years. The study discovered that youth who are involved in significant positive extra curricular activities are less likely to engage in destructive behaviors. I had an opportunity to meet with one of the youth followed in the study. She stated that she had all the "risk factors" that predict delinquent behaviors. She started getting into fights, and skipping school. However, she became involved in athletics and the school choir. She said that her involvement in these activities helped her to combat the forces that were pulling her in the direction of criminal activities.
I really appreciate everyone's support. This is a cause I truly believe in.
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scott715
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Re: Important cause
Okay your posts are from a cougar fan. It looks alright. I have voted. My I suggest you use the URL to make it easier to get to the website.
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doublej
- Recruit
- Posts: 38
- Joined: Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:47 am
- Fan Level: BYU Fanatic
- Prediction Group: CougarCorner
Re: Important cause
Also...thanks for your vote, it is appreciated. Please remember you can vote once per day per email address. If you can let your friends know as well we would appreciate it. You can also join the centers fan page on facebook to get updates (I'll try not to annoy CCers here and post things there.) Just look for Adolescent Center for Talent Development on Facebook and become a fan. Thanks!
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