Global Youth Service Project Overview

IEA and Jefferson County Juvenile Probation Department will collaborate with Some Other Place on its annual Global Youth Service Project.  In conjunction with the Southeast Texas Food Bank and other community supporters, one of our team leaders for this project is a recent graduate (Ashley Taylor) from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School (Austin). Ashley along with other instructors will offer classes to clients that are served through Ben's Kids (IEA’s outreach program) – where they will learn how to prepare healthy/creative meal options using the food that IEA distributes monthly from the Southeast TX Food Bank.  This experience will provide youth with the guidance to culminate their knowledge into a service project – where they will host a community lunch for clients of Some Other Place on Saturday, April 16, 2011. 

Each year the Jefferson County Juvenile Probation Department identifies intervention options for hundreds of youth. According to a recent report from the Jefferson County Juvenile Probation Department, 834 youth between the ages of 10 and 17 were referred to the department (March 2010 – February 2011).  Over 80% of the youth referred are representative of minority populations, and more than half present risk factors for becoming influenced by gang activity. Additionally, IEA estimates that 90% of the juvenile justice involved youth have symptoms of one or more mental health challenges.

IEA is an intervention option used by the Jefferson County Juvenile Probation Department to prevent both delinquent and status offenders from becoming further involved in the juvenile justice system; thus reducing their chances of becoming part of the adult criminal justice population. This project will address issues of juvenile delinquency and prevention by empowering them to become socially responsible and civically engaged through service learning.   According to the Southeast Texas Food Bank, there are more than 16,000 households that receive food each month from the organization’s member agencies.   

Project Goals

• Increase civic engagement and social responsibility among youth by preparing them to host a community lunch at Some Other Place.
• Reduce juvenile delinquency and promote juvenile offenders’ pro-social interactions with peers and community members.
• Promote community service as a healthy alternative to negative risk-taking activities. 
• Facilitate transportation for youth who have limited access to a safe and structured environments during after school hours.
• Engage volunteers for the purpose of connecting youth with positive adult role models (mentors).
• Acknowledge youth participants during the community lunch at Some Other Place on April 16, 2011 (Global Youth Service Day) for their efforts.