http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/jjclearinghouse

October 1999

Effective for the 1999 Fall semester, the Juvenile Justice Role Model Development Program has become partners with the Tallahassee Marine Institute (TMI) to coordinate the FSU Mentoring Project. Originally initiated at Belle Vue Middle School, the Mentoring Project is now operating at the Marine Institute, allowing dozens of college students to become mentors to youth that have been adjudicated as first time offenders. Mentoring at TMI will allow FSU college students that are interested in working with at-risk youth to gain valuable experience working with juveniles that are already in the juvenile justice system.

The Tallahassee Marine Institute is a Level 2, non-residential commitment facility in Tallahassee, Florida that provides aftercare and educational services to juveniles that have been adjudicated in juvenile court. The Institute’s philosophy is to encourage lifestyle changes by providing students with positive role models in a caring environment. Students at the Institute are predominantly males and females that range in age from 14 to 18 years of age. The juveniles at the Institute are required to attend for 6 months before they are allowed to return to mainstream schooling or the work force.

Lela Keels, Role Model Program Coordinator, feels that the relationship between the Role Model Program and the Marine Institute is a perfect match. "The youth at the Marine Institute are in desperate need of a positive role models in their lives and it is the goal of our program to train college students to become the effective role models every juvenile needs. Joining with TMI seemed very natural as it allows our students to gain valuable experience helping adjudicated juveniles prepare for their re-entry back into society."

Currently, 23 Role Model students have signed up to become mentors at TMI, a number that exceeded initial expectations. The mentors are provided with a juvenile at TMI that they will mentor throughout the semester and are required to meet with their mentees once a week. Once at the Marine Institute, the mentors and mentees have the option of staying there and visiting; or they can visit outside of the Institute campus. The flexible time period in which to mentor, 8am-8pm every day of the week, will positively contribute to the numerous relationships that will develop as a result of the mentoring.

Although the registration window to become a mentor at the Tallahassee Marine Institute for the fall semester has passed, applications for the Spring 2000 semester are now being accepted. Interested students need to fill out an on-line application, a TMI application, background check forms, and attain a copy of their fingerprints. This process can be time-consuming, so those that are interested in becoming a mentor in the spring may want to begin the application process soon. To obtain additional information about the Mentoring Project, visit the Role Model Program website at http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/jjclearinghouse or call the Role Model Office at 644-7113.

New Training Session for Mentors and Academy Volunteers

A new component that the Role Model Program instituted this fall semester was a training session for FSU students enrolled in Role Model Program courses who wanted to be mentors at the Tallahassee Marine Institute or volunteers at the FSU Afterschool Sports Academy. The two training sessions occurred from 3:30-6:00pm on Wednesday September 22 and Friday September 24 in the Sandels Building. Dr. Lee Clark, the Director of the Juvenile Justice Staff Development Project in the FSU School of Criminology, conducted the training for the 42 students that attended.

The purpose of the training sessions was to help prepare students as they begin completing their community service hours at TMI and the Sports Academy. Dr. Clark taught the students various characteristics about at-risk youth and provided them with techniques and strategies that they can utilize to when interacting with the youth at their respective sites. Dr. Clark emphasized the 3 P’s when working with at-risk youth: Patience, Perseverance, and Perspiration, which are key concepts to remember while in the field, especially Patience!

For the first time, students will now go into their respective sites with a specialized knowledge about at-risk students and are prepared to effectively mentor and work with the juveniles. Due to the training success and impact, training sessions will be conducted at the beginning of each future semester and attendance is mandatory for students that want to volunteer at TMI or the Academy.

The Role Model Program has finally revamped and updated our Internet Website to provide you with all the information you need about the Role Model Program and much more. Instead of calling the Role Model office with question after question, just visit the website and find the information you’re looking for. No longer do you have to come into the office to drop off applications or other information—you can now complete them and send them to the office on-line! Included in the website are the following sections:

· Current News

· Role Model Program Description and Requirements

· Internship Information

· FSU Afterschool Sports Academy

· Mentoring Project

· Job Board

· Juvenile and Criminal Justice Internet Links

· Various Role Model Program Applications

· JJRMDP Newsletters And More!!

These are just some of the features that the website contains, as it is updated on a daily basis with new information. Please visit the website at http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/jjclearinghouse to get all of the information about the Role Model Program and your career in Juvenile Justice!

If you are junior or senior and you are beginning to look for a job in Juvenile Justice, look no further than the JJRMDP Job Board. Within the updated Role Model Program Website , we have begun to assemble a large list of Employment Links within Juvenile Justice, Criminal Justice, and Education. Visit the Website at http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/jjclearinghouse and all one needs to do is click on the Job Board section and a large list of links, categorized by career, will appear. Click on the links that interest you and you will be taken directly to job openings and opportunities available through out the country. New links are being added every day as the goal is to have the largest Juvenile Justice Employment Links section around. So visit the JJRMDP Job Board and being looking for that job you have wanted but did not know where to look. The Job Board, your link to Juvenile Justice Employment!

Role Model students who plan to intern during the 2000 Spring Semester must complete applications by November 5, 1999. If you have not yet selected an agency, you can visit the Role Model Program Website to view a list of possible internship agencies and programs that are available in the State of Florida. Also, view the Internship section of the Website to review the internship qualifications and requirements. Act now to coordinate your internship for Spring 2000!

Interested in becoming a Role Model Student?

Those interested in the Role Model Program should visit the Role Model Program website and view the Role Model program information packet. The qualifications and requirements are listed for your review. 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. Apply directly on-line to become accepted as a Role Model Program student and advance your career in Juvenile Justice.