Integrating YOUTH THROUGH COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
ARTS has started a new partnership with the National Conflict Resolution Center and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office — a groundbreaking program that looks to set a new course to keep young people out of the criminal justice system.
The goal of the Juvenile Diversion Initiative (JDI) is to reduce the number of youth ages 12 to 17 who enter the juvenile justice system, engage the community in youth’s rehabilitation, and work upstream to address the causes of the youth’s unsafe behaviors while at the same time fostering accountability to crime victims and community.
Young people participating in the Juvenile Diversion Initiative JDI engage in therapeutic and pro-social activities such as mentoring, family counseling, educational and extracurricular activities, arts experiences, sports, etc. before charges are filed and as an alternative to prosecution.
ARTS is one of multiple community-based organizations providing skill-building opportunities to young people in this program. Through interactive, hands-on art workshops, youth get a chance to be imaginative and experiment with new artistic techniques and materials, work with professional teaching artists and peers their age, and experience the transformative power of creativity.
Some of the initial art-making workshops have explored street art stencils, cyanotype fabrics, and laser-engraved designs. Through these restorative workshops, teaching artists can expose young people to positive artistic outlets and create opportunities for meaningful mentorship. Youth in JDI have responded positively to the individualized approach and creative art-making.
Some of the initial art-making workshops have explored street art stencils, cyanotype fabrics, and laser-engraved designs.
While the partnership between JDI and ARTS has recently begun, it continues to grow and evolve to best meet the needs of our youth. At ARTS, this program will continue through the summer and opportunities to foster deeper engagement with youth who have shown particular interest are already on the horizon. Our first set of workshops have largely been led by ARTS' teaching artists Kelsey Kenny and Rob Tobin, and we are now expanding our roster to include even more of our talented teaching artists to offer a wider variety of multidisciplinary workshops. We are excited to expand this programming with our JDI partners to improve the lives of youth in the South Bay through transformative art-making!
