The Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, the PA Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers, and the JCJC Awards Committee are pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2021 JCJC Awards Program. Award nomination forms can be found on the JCJC website. This year’s program categories for which your program may be eligible include:
Residential Program of the Year Award: Available to any public or private sector program serving alleged and/or adjudicated delinquent youth in a residential setting. This includes foster homes, group homes, residential treatment programs, general childcare facilities, shelter care facilities, detention centers, independent living programs, and other programs providing out-of-home, overnight care to children. Award Winners prior to 2016 are eligible for nomination.
Community-Based Program of the Year Award: Available to any public or private sector program, not operated by the court, which provides community based, non-residential services to alleged and/or adjudicated delinquent youth including, but not limited to, day treatment programs, in-home services, Boys and Girls Clubs, Education Services, and out-patient services
Meritorious Service Award: Available to a volunteer committed to furthering the development of at-risk, alleged and/or delinquent youth (Examples of volunteer work may include youth aid panels, youth commissions, anti-violence programs, school-based programs, diversionary programs, mentoring programs, faith-based programs, community centers or other similar programming).
As in previous years, all nominations must be submitted by county juvenile probation departments. Therefore, if you would like to have your program or volunteer nominated, please contact a Chief Juvenile Probation Officer to discuss the possibility of submitting a nomination. Formal professional award nomination materials must be submitted via email by Monday August 16, 2021.
Youth Awards: In addition, the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission will once again sponsor a Youth Awards Program as part of this year’s Annual Awards Program to honor the youth selected as winners. The Youth Awards Committee is accepting nominations for the Outstanding Achievement Contest and the Creative Expression Contest both of which are described below.
Please note that in an effort to recognize the expanding and creative artistic talent of youth, the Creative Expression Contest category will once again include either a Written, Poster, or Video entry in two age categories, fifteen (15) and under and sixteen (16) and over. The requirements of each nomination are listed below and included in the attached nomination forms. Please note that these forms will also be available on the JCJC website. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward in Unity”. The winners and their chaperones will be honored guests at the 2021 Youth Awards Program and Dinner. Individuals submitting nominations will be responsible for ensuring that winners attend the Youth Awards Program. Winners will have the opportunity to say a few words upon receiving their award. All youth award nominations must be postmarked by Monday August 16, 2021.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT CONTEST:
The Outstanding Achievement Contest consists of a narrative description of a youth’s outstanding qualities of community service, victim reparation, academic accomplishments, citizenship, attitude, extra-curricular activities, peer relationships and positive changes in behavior, submitted by a counselor, teacher, or juvenile probation officer.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION CONTEST:
The Creative Expression Contest submission consists of a Poster, no larger than 22” H X 28” W with a 1” border as a picture, drawing, painting, or collage; or a Written essay, poem, story, etc. entry typed and limited to one page in length; or a Video entry on a USB Flash Drive, DVD or CD, in a mpeg, mov, wmv, mp3, or avi format of no longer than 2 minutes. This contest has a fifteen (15) and under category and a sixteen (16) and over category.
The Awards Committee encourages you to present the Youth Awards theme and requirements to the youth in your program for their participation in the contest.
Thank you for your interest and support of the 2021 JCJC Awards Program. Please contact JCJC Awards Liaison Angel R. Stewart at 717-783-7835 or via email or contact Keysla Rodriguez at 717-783-6263 or via email for questions or further assistance.
If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Children Director Jim Sharp.