Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $94,000)
The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).
Kidsbridge will conduct a job skills, gang resistance & life skills program for 80 at-risk Trenton middle schoolers through weekly mentoring. This program will benefit Trenton's at risk youth and their families. Specifically, it will benefit youth 12-15 years old in a school setting with an emphasis on youth violence prevention/ intervention strategies, gang resistance and activities after school. The program will demonstrate measurable improvements in self esteem with reductions in detention, truancy and suspension. It will provide a weekly prevention program with college mentors from the college of NJ, with emphasis on self-restraint, job seeking skills and positive interpersonal skills. Field trips to educational/cultural destinations, including Kidsbridge's tolerance museum on the College of N.J. campus will be included; most Trenton youths would not have access to an in depth look at college on campus. The visit to TCNJ will focus on scholarships and loans, highlight a diverse population on campus and inspire inner city kids to strive for a college education and higher career aspirations. To assess the direct impact of the program on its participants, pre- and post-surveys and assessments will be administered to participating youth to measure their social, emotional and cognitive development on the first day of the program and during the last week of the program. Pre and post program surveys will also be distributed to the homeroom teachers. NCA/NCF