ELKHART, Ind - July 23, 2019

Community Connections Program Piloted at Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County

An innovative whole-family rehabilitation program for juvenile offenders is being piloted at Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County (BGCEC), Magistrate Deborah Domine, Elkhart County Juvenile Community Corrections (JCC), and the Elkhart Police Department are pleased to announce the launch of the Community Connections Program.

A partnership between Boys & Girls Clubs, Juvenile Corrections, and local law enforcement, Community Connections is an innovative mentoring program that provides whole-family rehabilitation and positive role models for low- to moderate-risk graduates of Elkhart County’s Juvenile Community Corrections program. In addition to mentoring, Community Connections provides enrolled youth with life skills and character development programs, academic success programs, and workforce-development opportunities.

The goal of this program is to ensure that all youth of Elkhart and its surrounding communities are empowered to make positive choices and have the tools and skills needed to be successful in life. Community Connections will provide life-changing support for all youth and parents involved and will encourage positive relationships and communication between youth and law enforcement, who will have a strong presence throughout the program.

The goal of the program is to make sure youth are empowered to make positive choices and have the tools and skills needed to be successful in life.

“Our children belong to the entire community, and community partnerships are the only way we can improve the lives of our children and improve the safety of our community. I look forward to the results of this partnership.”

Magistrate Deborah Domine

The program requires ten hours of mandatory volunteer service and ten hours of participation in life skills, character development, and educational enrichment programming. Enrolled youth will attend the program two hours a day, once a week for a minimum of ten weeks.

Participants will spend the first hour of attendance assisting with the dinner program at Boys & Girls Club to fulfill the program’s volunteer service requirement. Development programs and academic enrichment activities provided by Boys & Girls Club Youth Development Professionals and special programming offered by the Elkhart Police Department will make up the second hour.

Enrolled youth will complete either the SMART Girls program or Passport to Manhood program provided by Boys & Girls Clubs. Both of these programs are focused on helping young people develop healthy attitudes and make good choices.

SMARTGirls is a small-group health, fitness, prevention/education, and self-esteem enhancement program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls in three age groups, spanning ages 8 to 18. Passport to Manhood teaches responsibility to boys ages 11 to 14 with sessions that focus on a specific aspect of character and manhood through highly interactive activities. Parents of enrolled youth will participate in Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) offered by Child and Parent Services (CAPS).

Parents of enrolled youth will participate in Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) offered by Child and Parent Services (CAPS).

"CAPS chose to offer Triple P because it is a proven, evidence-based parenting curriculum with more than 30 years of research behind it showing how it truly can support every parent. Parents in this program will learn top-quality parenting strategies for raising teenagers, and they’ll get the support they need to successfully implement the strategies they choose to use with their own children.”

Leah Plank, Director of Prevention Services, CAPS

In addition to helping youth meet volunteer and program participation requirements, the Community Connections program will help participants improve their academic performance and develop a plan for the future. Education goals include at least 85%of program participants receiving no failing grades in school and 70% receiving no grades below “C.” As the program expands, those goals will increase to 100% of participants passing all classes and 50% receiving no grades below “C.” The program also seeks to provide workforce development opportunities which will allow participants to engage in positive conversations about their future, explore career opportunities, and prepare for life after high school.

The Community Connections program will help participants improve their academic performance and develop a plan for the future.

"This partnership will be vital to those in the program. With the mindset of whole family support, this program will allow everyone to learn and grow as individuals and become a better family unit. This program is designed to teach social skills, provide academic support, provide parenting support, and to positively engage the youth with law enforcement. I’m excited to see the impact of the program.

Rubin Nieto, Elkhart Area Director, Boys & Girls Clubsof Elkhart County

This innovative program is being piloted this summer in Elkhart at Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County’s Brian & Jeannelle Brady Center.

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Community Connections Program Press Conference | Friday, August 16, 2019 | Elkhart County Juvenile Court, 315 S 2nd Street, Elkhart, Ind

Rubin Nieto

Area Director at Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County

574-295-6838