The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center team invited Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc. to have their nonprofit present under our GS Connects program on Tuesday, October 11th, 2022. The program brings community organizations on campus to share their mission, vision, and resources with a shared goal to collaborate with other nonprofits.
Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc. has been serving Sarasota County youth ages 10-18 for 34 years. In 1986, the Sarasota Chapter of the League of Women Voters felt there was an increase in juvenile crime. Soon after, the local community leaders and judicial offices came together with a vision to instill self-esteem in youth by introducing them to the positive benefits of law-abiding citizenship.
Over the decades, Teen Court has provided students with educational youth development activities that are designed to meet the specific needs of at-risk youth and student volunteers. The nonprofit organization receives clients through civil citations, parent referrals, and school referrals. In 2021, the organization had 690 referrals and over 200 student volunteers to assist in the courtroom as jurors, bailiffs, clerks, and Teen Attorneys.
Heather Todd, Executive Director, led the presentation, discussing the organizations’ ability to encourage, motivate, and inspire youth to change their behaviors through prevention, early intervention, and diversion. In a recent study, Teen Court found that The Juvenile Court had a re-offense rate of 42% while theirs was 8%. With 100% positive feedback received by parents/guardians, children are completing the program with improved grades, second chances, and brighter futures.
To learn more about Teen Courts' mission to create second chances for young people who are at risk of having a criminal record, visit their website here.
Glasser/Schoenbaum Campus Connection programs are possible through the generosity of Der Dutchman and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
Real estate is one of the greatest costs in a business budget. Our partnership with The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center allows more money to go towards our mission. And what better place to house our office than on a campus with nineteen other outreach agencies.
Collaboration is key to the success of our work. The Campus of Caring is a unique space where we can easily join forces with other agencies to make the best use of our resources and maximize our community impact. The affordable rent allows us to allocate more funds to our mission of transforming the lives of students and their families.
As a small organization with a staff of two, employee safety was a big consideration when we were looking for office space. We did not want our employees to be in a place where they were alone. Being on the GSHSC campus has been great because there is a whole community of like-minded professionals.
