Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2024, $480,000)
Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas proposes to implement Girl Scouts RISE, a juvenile justice diversion program for girls ages 10-17. The purpose is to serve girls in the juvenile justice system or at risk of entering the system in Arkansas counties with high numbers of juvenile arrests and at-risk youth. This program was developed in 2015 by the Girl Scouts – Diamonds council to address the specific needs that girls in the juvenile justice system face. Girl Scouts RISE promotes protective factors for girls by enhancing personal development and resilience, promotes educational and career opportunities, and strengthens social and community connections. Expected outcomes include serving at least 240 at-risk girls in the Arkansas juvenile justice system; regular assessments of the curriculum and participant responses; program evaluations that include recidivism rates; and the development of a full curriculum for working with girls in the juvenile justice system that can be utilized by other nonprofits that serve this specific population.