ISPR Reports Progress on Tribal Youth Project

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 - 4:24 pm

Work continues to progress rapidly on the Tribal Youth Victimization and Juvenile Delinquency Project. The Project is a collaboration between the Institute for Social and Policy Research (ISPR), Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA), and the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA). Dr. Pavkov attended the NICWA conference in May of 2008 and the Mid-year conference of the National Congress of American Indians in June of 2008 to discuss the project with tribal representatives. Dr. Pavkov also provided a short presentation about the Project at the Tribal Meeting at the Georgetown University Institutes in July of 2008.

Ms. Leah Travis joined the ISPR team as research assistant in June of 2008. Leah’s initial activities involve analysis of existing datasets for the Project. In May of 2008, the team from ISPR began researching existing databases which may be of use for secondary analysis in answering questions about youth victimization and delinquency behaviors. Eight data sets were identified as potential sources of data, and the items available were catalogued both for future reference, as well as to aide in making initial decisions about which databases to consider first. Two databases were chosen, based on the variables available and the presence of a large American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AI/AN) subsample. These include the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS, collected by the Centers for Disease Control in 2007), and the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Preliminary analysis of the YRBSS data has begun, with a focus on comparing AI/AN populations with other racial and ethnic groups (e.g. White, Black, and Hispanic/Latino Youth).

In July of 2008, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Project Officer conducted a site visit at the PCAA office in Chicago, IL. The team presented an overview of the background and history of the project, as well as provided an update of the progress that has been made in the past months. The Project Officer provided feedback on the progress made, highlighting the benefits of the unique collaboration existing between NICWA, PCAA, and ISPR. While an official decision on extending OJJDP funding was not available at that time, the team is optimistic about the merits of this project in terms of renewed funding.

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EASE Project Completes Training of Educational Mentors

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 - 3:54 pm

The INDIANA EXPANDING ACCESS AND SUCCESS IN EDUCATION (EASE) Project has graduated its first cohort of educational mentors working with court involved and child welfare involved youth in Lake County. The training was collaboratively developed by a group of faculty from Purdue University Calumet, Indiana University Northwest, Ivy Tech Community College and Calumet College of St. Joseph. Staff from Campagna Academy, St. Monica’s Home, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana participated in the training. The newly trained educational mentors attended five sessions during the months of May and June. Trainers included Thomas Pavkov and Sesen Negash of the Institute, Rick Hug of IUN, and Elizabeth Guzman-Arredondo of Calumet College. The training included content related to general mentoring and maintaining a mentoring relationship, child and adolescent development of at-risk youth, supporting youth towards educational success, and resources available to at-risk youth who desire to attend college and/or training programs. Feedback was collected from individuals participating in the initial training indicating high levels of satisfaction and enthusiasm. This feedback is currently being used to plan the second and third rounds of training scheduled for the Fall of 2008. Additionally, a survey is being conducted of existing mentoring programs in Lake County to better understand the training needs that challenge existing programs and those who wish to create mentoring programming.  The project continues to obtain generous financial support from the Legacy Foundation and the Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth.

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