The young women of Santa Barbara County can put on their dancing shoes and kick up their heels. They have a lot of reasons to celebrate. To be exact, they have 30,000 reasons.
On Aug. 10, the Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County will donate $30,000 to the new Teen Court project, which sponsors development and self-discovery for 125 young women.
This donation came as a complete surprise to Teen Court Program Manager Crystal Moreno.
“I got a phone call saying someone had just donated $30,000 to Teen Court and what program did I think the community needed?” Moreno said. “It was great because I’ve been trying to get the Young Ladies Leadership Program funded for three years.”
The $30,000 donation will fund a full year of the leadership program, leading to hiring staff, inviting guest speakers, and purchasing workshop materials for group discussion and curriculum.
This program, composed of six group sessions with 12 to 15 girls per session, will meet once a week beginning Aug. 24.
At each meeting, young women from 12 to 18 years old will discuss such important issues as eating disorders, alcohol abuse, and self esteem.
These young women are often Teen Court clients, referred to the program from probation officers, the school district, or traffic court. Concerned parents are also welcome to call.
“If parents are proactive and recognize that their child is making poor choices, they can call us,” Moreno said. “We want to empower parents as well.”
This project, the Young Ladies Leadership Program, encourages young women to explore opportunities and develop the skills necessary to become independent leaders.
Young women, encouraged to make goals, will be connected to other organizations, such as financial aid and school scholarships.
The Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County is an organization of women dedicated to increasing opportunities for women to participate in philanthropy.
The women respond to the community’s needs through group donations and have given to many deserving charities, recognizing that donating as a group has more impact than an individual donation.
“I think we really fit with their mission,” Moreno said when asked why Teen Court had received the generous donation. “These sessions are about a group of empowered women from all different walks of life. We’ll be able to provide for the young girls and help them become young leaders of the community and get them to rise up and reach their full potential.”
In addition to the Women’s Fund donation, the Teen Court program was able to obtain a matching grant for $1,500 from the Stewart Gildred Foundation.
The Young Ladies Leadership groups are part of a new program sponsored by Teen Courts, a judicial system run by teens to prevent first offenders from entering the juvenile system.
Young men and women fill the court positions from judge to jury, mentored by volunteer judges and attorneys in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Superior Court, which provides courtrooms throughout the county for hearings.
Youth who participate in Teen Court avoid a criminal record and face a teen jury to determine sentencing.
The possible sentences include Teen Court jury duty, community service, counseling, and education classes.
For more information regarding Teen Court or the Young Ladies Leadership Program, contact Crystal Moreno at 925-8860, Ext. 101, or visit Teen Court’s office at 526 East Chapel St. in Santa Maria.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2011.