Welcome!
We plant, nurture, and grow opportunities for teens to change their lives and the lives of others.
We support Youth (or Teen) Courts throughout the state of Tennessee with funding, training of both adult and youth volunteers, educational events, technical assistance, site visits and data collection.
Teenagers who volunteer to sit on the Youth Court decide the sentence for other teens who admitted to committing an offense. These teen volunteers base their sentence on the principles of Restorative Justice.
S3 highlighted our success with a short video, produced and directed by Tamara Fyke and Mike Stryker, features interviews with students, school officials, and juvenile court judges the video demonstrates the range of program possibilities.
Video production was made possible through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Safe and Supportive Schools to the Tennessee Department of Education to “improve conditions for learning in Tennessee schools." The 27 pilot districts engaged in the project have used the funding to increase school support for students, to promote school safety, and to help foster a positive learning environment.”
Our Mission
To spur the comprehensive and statewide development of youth court programs by:
- Expanding and supporting youth courts as effective, evidence-based, peer-driven juvenile justice alternative - and -
- Promoting youth court programs as an important feature of juvenile justice services in Tennessee that seek to improve outcomes for all youth in our communities.
Get Involved
Youth court programs would not be successful without the hundreds of volunteers - mostly lawyers - who act as mentors and advisors to youth court programs and the teens who volunteer their time and wisdom to act as members of the courts.
Contact us today, and "be the change."