The Learning Club is an educational program that serves students within the court system ages 11-17 that have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes. The program provides an alternative to spending time in a juvenile treatment facility. These students are court mandated to attend sessions every Saturday from 12-3PM.

This program provides an opportunity for assessment & mentorship, thought provoking discussion, experience with cultural activities and exposure to college and career opportunities. Often times labeled “at risk” because they are burdened by factors that might impede the learning process, The Learning Club seeks to serve as a protective factor among the many “risk factors” that these students face daily.

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Fundamentally, the program has three major components. The first and primary component involves education. Our goal is to ensure that the students do not become repeat offenders and graduate from high school. The students are encouraged to engage in a roundtable discussion every Saturday with topics that cover everything from politics to corporal punishment. Additionally, students are assigned mentor/tutors that work with them individually to set career and educational goals and work on subjects they struggle with in school. The next part of the program surrounds cultural engagement. Many of the students that are a part of the program have never toured a college campus or have never visited an art museum.

While education is paramount, exposure to different cultures and teaching the students about opportunities that they might not have known existed is important. Every Saturday, we present a different activity, understanding the importance of balance and wellness: sport & physical activity, art and culture, college and career and service learning. The final component is Service Learning; it is imperative that we teach the students to not develop the selfish mindset that so many young people have but to think of others as they think of themselves. We encourage them to consider the less fortunate and to consider how their actions affect others. We want them to see themselves as a part of a community that is bigger than their social circle, their school, their neighborhood or their city. We want them to see the bigger picture.

Focusing on the above three components, our goal is to provide encouragement, mentorship and guidance, supporting them during the tumultuous adolescent years, reducing chronic delinquency and providing early intervention.