CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Juvenile Court is launching a new initiative designed to connect court-involved youth with career training, mentors and educational opportunities.
The initiative, called Direct Line Careers, is the next phase of Judge Kari Bloom's "Summer of Discovery" program, which reached about 100 children.
Direct Line Careers will use a three-stage framework — "spark," "build" and "launch" — to help children explore career options, develop skills and eventually move toward employment or higher education.
"Most of the children who come to us are 14, 15, 16, some of them 17 years old," Bloom said.
She said some children come to court after acting out of "hopelessness" or in an effort to become more independent. The program is intended to provide an alternative path.
During the first, or "spark," phase, children and their families will be introduced to opportunities in job training, higher education, mentoring and other community resources. The "build" phase will focus on developing skills and connections, while the final "launch" phase will help young people move toward their future careers.
The program will connect youth with opportunities in areas including the skilled trades, personal care, vocational training and higher education.
Cincinnati Public Schools will also play a role, connecting students with career and technical education programs that include construction, culinary arts and health-related training.
"Everybody does not have to go to college to be great," said Alesia Smith, Cincinnati Public Schools deputy superintendent.
The city of Cincinnati also plans to connect youth with career opportunities, including apprenticeships in the building trades.
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney said skilled trades offer another path to financial stability for young people who may not choose a traditional four-year college route.
"Those skill trades are a booming industry across the country," Lemon Kearney said.
Building on Summer of Discovery
The Direct Line Careers program follows Bloom's Summer of Discovery initiative, which began as school let out.
As part of their pretrial orders, about 100 children received orders to obtain a library card, get a membership to their neighborhood recreation center or YMCA and bring a copy of their most recent grades to their next court hearing.
The Summer of Discovery orders did not apply to children held in detention, children whose cases were bound over or children facing a gun charge.
Bloom said the program was intended to connect children with positive resources in their communities while they were out of school.
The court has now shifted its focus toward what happens after summer and after children return to school.
Bloom said Direct Line Careers is not a diversion program and does not make a juvenile case go away if a child completes the requirements. Instead, the career-development process will occur alongside the traditional court case.
"You will also be ordered to explore a future," Bloom said. "They're separate, apart, and happening at the same time."
Like with the summer program, Bloom said the new initiative generally will apply to children who are capable of participating and are not being held in detention during their cases.
Children who are detained already receive job training, education and other rehabilitation services, she said.
No guaranteed job
The program is not designed to guarantee a job or internship.
Bloom said its purpose is to provide young people with education, introductions and connections that can help them overcome barriers.
"The education part behind the program is the guarantee," Bloom said. "There isn't any guarantee ... that when we wake up to go to work tomorrow, we'll have a job."
Instead, Bloom said, young people will be expected to show up, learn, demonstrate interest and ask for help when they need it.
The court also plans to help families address some of the costs associated with education and career training. Bloom said the court and its nonprofit advisory council are prepared to help with some application fees and startup costs, including expenses associated with barber or esthetician school and ACT or SAT preparation.
The initiative will also rely on community organizations and businesses to provide mentorship and career exposure.
Bloom said the court is looking for more organizations willing to participate.
Focus on mentorship
Congressman Greg Landsman, who participated in Monday's announcement, said the program is an example of adults working together to give young people more opportunities.
"There are all these adults, and it shouldn't be so hard to find the adults that are going to pour into you, that are going to invest in you," Landsman said.
Mark Dorris, founder of the Leave Your Mark Foundation, also emphasized the importance of mentorship.
Dorris said his foundation was created in memory of his father and is focused on carrying forward his father's legacy of mentorship and community involvement.
"With that extra voice to carry you along the way, it moves you to the next to the next level of life. So, we want to be able to be there not just in the good times and not just for the hard times, but for a whole lifetime," Dorris said. "So, I would tell everybody when you're here on this earth, you would want to leave a mark, a positive mark, and leave the world in a better place."
Bloom said the court is not creating an entirely new system of services. Instead, she said, the goal is to organize and direct young people toward programs and people who are already working in the community.
"The folks who are here in this room are the folks who understand why this is important, and the folks who have been doing this work," Bloom said.
She said Direct Line Careers is intended to formalize those connections and make them accessible to children and families coming through juvenile court.
The court is expected to continue developing partnerships with businesses, trade organizations, educational institutions and mentoring groups as the program gets underway.
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