Juvenile Justice facilities help youth earn their high school diplomas
Submitted by editor on Wed, 06/22/2016 - 10:35am
June marks an exciting time for high school seniors awaiting their graduation from high school and for some, this is not the easiest feat.
For those youth ordered to one of the 3 Nevada juvenile justice facilities — Summit View Youth Center, Caliente Youth Center and Nevada Training Youth Center — graduating from high school may not have been something they thought they could achieve.
“I don’t want to be sent to prison like some of previous peers. I want to have a nice home with a family and a nice car. While I was here I earned my diploma. It may only be my adult diploma but it was a big accomplishment! An accomplishment I thought I would never reach. I’m going to put my ServSafe to use. I would like to work at an upscale restaurant, so I am going to shoot for that,” said one youth currently at the Nevada Youth Training Center in Elko.
The Juvenile Justice facilities prepare their youth educationally by providing opportunities for youth to earn their high school diplomas, an equivalency certificate, college credits and vocational certifications. This enables the youth to leave the facility with the ability to apply for jobs, acquire better opportunities and become self-sufficient adults.
Many youth earn their diploma, vocational certifications, ServSafe managerial certification and college credits while at the facility. They use their time in the facility to think about their futures and the poor choices they made before getting there. “NYTC has given me several months to think about my future and my poor choices. I have gotten the opportunity to eventually graduate high school, learn coping skills, and most importantly to me, good communication skills.” stated another youth.
Russell Klein, Principal at Independence High School in Elko stated, “What I’ve seen in my years at Independence High is that the real change is in the mind of the youth. When they come from a family where they are the first high school graduate ever – you can see in their eyes that they see themselves differently. They perceive that they DO have value, that they CAN get a job, and that they can have a different future than they’ve been raised to have. It really is a powerful thing to see a youth who learns to see themselves differently.”
High school diplomas, equivalency certificates and college credits or vocational certificates earned by youth in Nevada’s Juvenile Justice System.
Nevada Youth Training Center – Independence High School
For 2015 Calendar Year*
16 students earned their Diplomas
26 students passed the GED
2 students earned college credits
29 students received a ServSafe Managerial Certification
716 high school credits issued for the school year
*Independence High is a year round school
Caliente Youth Center - C.O. Bastian High School
For 2014-2015 School Year
51 students earned their Diplomas
84 students passed the Hi-Set (high school equivalency certificates)
29 students received a ServSafe Managerial Certification
128 students received ServSafe Food Handler Certificates
Dozens of class issued Career and Technical Education (CTE) certificates
1061.5 high school credits issued for the school year
Summit View Youth Center –
Re-opened in February 2016, educational data not available.
A third youth interviewed shared that he successfully completed the GED program and is working on getting his diploma. “Our high school has done everything in its power to help me be academically successful.”
Go here to learn more about Nevada’s Juvenile Justice Program.
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