Improving educational outcomes begins with something basic: keeping young people in school, not in the juvenile justice system. And that means addressing the things that cause them to drop out in the first place: chronic truancy, suspension, and first-time arrest. Access Youth tackles all of these. At Ballou, Anacostia, HD Woodson and Eastern High Schools, and at Johnson and Kramer Middle Schools, two program managers per school build trusting relationships with students, enrolling them in 6th and 9th grade and continuing through graduation. A truancy prevention program provides encouragement, motivation, and support for attending school, while a restorative justice program works on relationship building, goal setting, progress monitoring, and life skills development. Rooted in conflict resolution and mediation, not punishment, programs will serve 900 students this year, decreasing behavior issues, boosting attendance, increasing school engagement, improving performance, and creating better outcomes for kids.
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