This semester, we have seen 50+ teens come through our Justice Circles program. Justice Circles is a 6-8 week program where we meet with each kid one-on-one, discussing their charges and how to “make it right”.
This past summer, our staff spent time revamping the program, allowing for more meetings with each teen, and it has been an improved change. We are now able to better pair the teen with a mentor and have seen greater success in these matches. The mentor-mentee relationships are stronger than ever and other adults in the teen’s lives are noticing.
David is a young man we met earlier this semester through Justice Circles. After completing the curriculum, we were able to pair David with a great mentor (Ryan) we knew would stick beside him.
David plays high school football and his mentor has built a friendship with the coach.
When the coach noticed David wasn’t doing well in school, he reached out Ryan and invited him to football practice. The coach told our staff, “a kid like David who doesn’t have a mentor will typically quit football and school when home life is as tough as his is. But, Ryan has been the positive influence David needed, never letting his situation bring him down. He keeps showing up and pushing through, avoiding things like drugs and fighting that I’ve seen in others.”