Juvenile Justice Perspectives

Official Publication of the Juvenile Justice Role Model Program

Florida State University

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice 

April 1999

Volume 1, Issue 6

 

Role Model Program Expands With FSU Afterschool Sports Academy

As we enter 1999, the Role Model program experienced tremendous success during the 1998 academic year. During 1998, the Mentoring Project provided Belle Vue Middle School and the Tallahassee Boys’ Choir with over 40 role model students to mentor middle school juveniles, a great accomplishment. Due to the overall success of the Mentoring Project, the Role Model Program has once again expanded with the introduction of the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy.

The FSU Afterschool Sports Academy was designed by the administrators of the Role Model Program to provide 30, 6th grade Black males with a positive, afterschool environment in which to participate in study hall and sports activities. Young Black males are the most at-risk group in society and are often excluded from extracurricular activities. It is the goal of the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy to assist 6th Black males improve their academic performance while also preventing delinquent activities.

The FSU Afterschool Sports Academy is conducted at the Belle Vue Middle School in Tallahassee, which was selected due to the large number of at-risk Black males

enrolled. The Academy began on February 8, 1999 and will continue throughout the 1999 school year. The Academy meets four days per week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 2:15pm-5:15pm each day. The unique facet of the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy is that it incorporates sports with other significant activities necessary for the success of juveniles. There are three major components that make up the Academy: Sport Activities, Study Hall, and Social Issue Discussions. These components are the main activities in which the participants engage in once the school day ends.

Sports activities are taught on a daily basis for 90 minutes, providing the participants with a fun and enjoyable leisure activity in which to participate. The major sports that will be taught at the Academy will be basketball, baseball, football, soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, and track and field. FSU graduate students teach these sports in four-week lesson blocks which includes instruction of the sport rules, strategies, and fundamentals. Each sport taught also has a league and tournament that provides the participants the opportunity to compete against one another.

At the Academy, the participants study and complete their academic work in a study hall a one hour per day. The study hall is held in the participants’ classroom and is equipped with reference materials and ample space for students to complete their homework. During study hall, FSU undergraduate volunteers from the Role Model Program tutor the participants in their academic work.

Social issue discussions are one-hour group meetings, occurring once a week in which a social topic is discussed with the participants. The discussions are intended to examine the dilemmas that young Black males in today’s society are facing. The discussions have two components, one large group

discussion that meets for forty-five minutes and several small group discussions that meets for fifteen minutes. On occasion, the discussions feature guest speakers from the Tallahassee community and state of Florida.

An additional component of the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy is that it provides students enrolled in Role Model Development courses the opportunity to complete their community service hours by assisting in the sports and study hall activities. All students enrolled in Role Model courses must complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service. Volunteer opportunities include tutoring the Academy participants during study hall and assisting in teaching sports, refereeing games, and moderating the participants during competition.

Students interested in completing community service hours at the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy should contact Lela Keels, the Role Model Program Coordinator or Rudy Collum, the Academy Manager at the Role Model Office, Hecht House 322-A or call 644-7113.

 

FSU Fun Day for Afterschool Academy and Mentoring Project

On Saturday, April 10 at 2:00pm, the Role Model Program will sponsor a FSU Fun Day for the students in the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy, the Mentoring Project, and community service activities. The students will have a choice to attend either the FSU Garnet & Gold Football Game or the FSU Circus. Students interested in volunteering as chaperones to assist in monitoring the students should contact the Role Model Office at 644-7113 or come by the Office at 322-A Hecht House. Role model students that participate will earn community service hours.

ServScript Deadline

The last day to turn in ServScript forms to receive credit for community service is Wednesday, April 21. In order for community service hours to apply for class credit, the forms must be turned in by this date to the ServScript office at 930 W. Park Ave. Students should request a copy of their total community service hours and turn them in as indicated by their instructors.

Mentors Needed

The Juvenile Alternatives Service Project (JASP) is requesting college students to mentor juveniles that have been referred to the juvenile justice system. Students interested in becoming a mentor to youth in the Tallahassee community should contact the Role Model Office at 644-7113 or Jennifer Brabazon at 488-5821.

 Summer Internships in Juvenile Justice Available

Role Model students who plan to intern during the summer must complete applications by the extended deadline of April 16, 1999. If you have not yet selected an agency, you can stop by the Role Model Program office in 322-A Hecht House and use the Agency Site Manual to see what types of programs and locations are available. Students that select an agency in Florida are eligible for a paid internship. Additionally, only students with at least a 2.5 GPA are eligible to receive an internship stipend.

BACKGROUND

In response to state and national  concern about the rapid increase in serious juvenile crime and the growing number of  young people identified as, “at-risk,” the Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program was established and began offering courses in the Fall of 1995. The Program received initial funding through the Florida Attorney General’s Office and has subsequently been funded by the Florida Legislature and corporate and private donations. From it’s inception, the Program has emphasized cultural and academic diversity and students are recruited from a broad range of disciplines including: criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology, education, music therapy, theatre and athletics. Through diversity of training and perspective, at-risk juveniles and young people already familiar with the justice system will interface with graduates of a program who have been specifically trained to provide the one element that has been missing in the lives of so many of  these troubled young people…a positive role model.  

OUR MISSION

The Juvenile Justice Role Model Program has a twofold mission. First, to utilize an interdisciplinary and multicultural curriculum through which students will obtain professional, academic and practical training and experience in the field of Juvenile Justice. Second, to establish a Human Resource Development Center for Florida, which will serve as a clearinghouse for employment in public and private sector juvenile justice agencies throughout the state and nation.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

In order to be eligible for an Internship and a Certificate in Juvenile Justice, Role Model students are required to successfully complete 18 hours of core courses with a letter grade of C or above. The courses listed below may be taken in any order and are offered each semester.

In addition to course requirements, students must complete fifty hours of uncompensated volunteer community service. These volunteer hours must be documented and completed before the Juvenile Justice Certificate will be awarded. Core course instructors and Program staff  will assist and recommend  service opportunities for students who are unable to locate a suitable agency.

STAFF SUPPORT

Throughout enrollment in the Program, students receive continuous support from the Program faculty and staff. Bi-weekly meetings for interns provide a forum for exchange of ideas and discussion of internship experiences as well as an opportunity to develop relationships with others committed to the field of juvenile justice.

THE INTERNSHIP

Upon completion of the core courses, students are eligible for a 12 hour internship at an approved juvenile justice agency. Students with an overall GPA of 2.5 may apply for a paid internship. Students accepted for internship will work 40 hours per week for an entire semester and will gain valuable direct experience in a typical juvenile justice setting.

TO QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM

Those interested in the Role Model Program should contact the Program Office for an information packet. As part of the qualification process, applicants will be asked to submit a brief essay explaining why they believe they are qualified to become a positive  role model. After review by the Program Director and staff, applicants will be notified of acceptance.