OJJDP News @ a Glance, Volume II, Number 3 (May/June 2003)

• NCJ Number: 199996
• Journal: OJJDP News @ a Glance Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2003 Pages: 1-4
• Date Published: May 2003
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP News @ a Glance
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description

Annotation

OJJDP’s bimonthly newsletter presents notices of agency activities, recent publications, funding opportunities, and upcoming events, this issue also includes special features on National Youth Service Day (NYSD) and National Missing Children’s Day.

Abstract

NYSD is the largest service event in the world. For the past 14 years, NYSD has helped millions of young Americans identify and address the needs of their communities through volunteer activities. A new Boys & Girls Club Program at Orr Elementary School in Washington, DC, was announced during this year’s ceremony on April 11. The club is expected to open in July 2003. Orr Elementary students participated in their own service learning projects, ranging from writing letters to soldiers overseas to building care packages for the homeless. Other projects focused on being a good citizen, promoting child safety, and creating art projects for sick children. On May 20, a ceremony was held to commemorate National Missing Children’s Day. Several dignitaries were present to recognize law enforcement efforts to recover missing children and to honor the courage of missing children and their families. A number of awards were presented to law enforcement officers that were recognized for their efforts to recover and assist missing and exploited children. On April 30, a live national satellite videoconference “Community Responses to Truancy: Engaging Students in School” was shown about the causes of truancy and the effects of truancy on youth, their families, schools, and communities. Chronic truancy has been identified as a warning sign of delinquent activity, social isolation, and other factors that limit youth’s potential to become productive citizens. Solutions to the problem require community partnerships that involve schools, social services and law enforcement agencies, courts, and community- and faith-based organizations. The videoconference featured promising strategies, provided examples of community efforts to reduce truancy, and highlighted available truancy prevention and intervention resources.