Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office Youth Academy

The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office will conduct a Youth Academy for at risk middle school aged juveniles to learn social skills necessary to become productive members of the community and remain in school. The goal of the Youth Academy is to reduce juvenile delinquent activity by providing a positive structured summer activity for at risk middle school students in Lafayette Parish.

The Academy will target students who have demonstrated various behavioral problems effecting school attendance, discipline and self-esteem and who may have experienced academic problems. Students will attend four-week sessions with the exception of a one-week session in the summer of 2003. Youth Academy activities will include physical training, arts, social skills, field trips, and classroom study. Sessions will be held during summer months at no cost to participants. Participation in the program is voluntary, but will include a selection process that is administered through a partnership with the Lafayette Parish School Board.

Anticipated outcomes for Youth Academy graduates are improvements in the areas of school attendance, discipline, and self esteem as well as increased participation in positive school activities and lower amounts of in school and out of school suspensions.

NCA/NCF