South DSM News

The West Des Moines City Council recently recognized a local youth organization for its work in helping reform at-risk youth.

During a Jan. 17 council meeting, City officials welcomed students from the Youth Justice Initiative (YJI) along with program director Jennifer Hahn. The YJI was developed to decrease the number of juvenile offenders in the West Des Moines area. It was created in 2000 to work closely with juvenile offenders—along with victims and community members—to hold them accountable for their actions while working with them to help restore the community that they harmed. The initiative's Resiliency project works with at-risk youth in the schools to help keep them out of trouble and ensure their success both in the classroom and in their future careers.

Hahn introduced the youths who accompanied her to the council meeting. The high school students talked about the impact the program has had on their own lives. One of the students talked about a program within the initiative that had students volunteer their time to teach the elderly population how to use their tech devices on their own. Involvement with this program led the student to her first job and many other leadership opportunities in her school.

Other students talked about how the family focus of the program helped heal their own families and keep them at home. Some students said they wouldn't have made it to graduation without the structure their study sessions provided. The Study Table program not only helped them complete their homework and raise their grades, it also connected them with community members. One of the students recalled how he came into the program with a GPA of 0.04 and rarely went into the community, but now he has raised his grades and is a part of the West Des Moines Safety Cadet program.

"Thank you for sharing the importance of YJI with us," Mayor Russ Trimble said to the students. "You know, I have been involved in YJI for a very long time. I've been on the advisory board and it is a phenomenal, phenomenal program. We have got unbelievable workers and volunteers in YJI who really care about each and every one of you and all of our young people in this community. I'm proud that YJI has such a low rate of recidivism and it's important not only to give kids a second chance who have offended and done something wrong, but kids that are at risk, that are at risk of dropping out of school, that might have a 0.04. It's great to hear that you're doing so well in school and you're going to study table. That's not easy either. If you just show up and you do the work, you're going to have a very successful future, each and every one of you guys."