NCJ Number
202586
Date Published
January 2003
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This document discusses Teens, Crime, and the Community (TCC), a program that engages youth in their community as responsible citizens.
Abstract
Youth leaders and educators have begun promoting the development of a framework for youth programs in which youth’s role is as developer and facilitators, not just students. The program teaches youth ways to protect themselves from crime and provides them opportunities to develop safer, more vital communities. It does this by drawing on an extensive curriculum and helping them develop an action or service-learning project to demonstrate what they have learned and to foster community leadership and involvement. Service-learning is a teaching approach that integrates community service with academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Community service can increase positive attitudes toward others, the future, and the community and can provide youth with opportunities to give back to their community. The “Community Works” curriculum provides instructors with all the tools they need to implement a successful program. Highly interactive activities, such as role play, group discussions, and skits, build leadership and communication skills. Step-by-step lesson plans are designed for instructors that have limited time for lesson planning. Materials provide facilitators with hands-on activities in subject areas that hold special appeal for community groups. The “Community Works” curriculum is uniquely suited to the service-learning concept. The use of this curriculum should be promoted as a user-friendly means of incorporating service-learning into the school curriculum. This will help direct service-learning funds to TCC programs and ensure that crime prevention and student safety issues become an integral part of the service-learning agenda. 5 appendices