Humboldt Sponsors Gives $1,150 to Boys & Girls Club of the Redwoods Teen Court Program

This is a press release from Boys & Girls Club of the Redwoods:

Humboldt Sponsors representatives Judith Stoffer and Becky Giacomini showed their support of the Boys & Girls Club of the Redwoods Teen Court program at their court session on Thursday, August 16^th.   Humboldt Sponsors gave $1,155 to Teen Court this year to send 6 youth representatives to the CA statewide Youth Court Summit.  Humboldt Sponsors has long shown their support of the Teen Court program through generous donations over the years.

The 13th Annual California Association of Youth Courts’ Summit took place June 21-23 at Sonoma State University. The Summit is an annual opportunity for Youth Courts from around the state to share ideas and learn the about the latest developments in criminal justice reform through a weekend of workshops and speakers that challenge teens to think big.

Adam Foss, founder of Prosecutor Impact and dynamic TED Talk speaker challenged the students to step up as the next generation of civil rights leaders. While speaker Ashanti Branch worked with participants on increasing their levels of empathy and emotional intelligence. Sharing insights and lessons from his work with the Ever Forward Club which is highlighted in the award-winning Jennifer Siebel Newsom produced film, The Mask You Live In.

“I thought the Summit was a great experience. It really allowed me to open up to others in a way I might not have otherwise. Overall, I was extremely impressed with what the summit had to offer and we had opportunities to share methods to make our own youth court better.”

–youth representative

Without the sustained support of Humboldt Sponsors, it would be very difficult to consistently offer this enriching experience to our Teen Court youth. Teen Court is a real court administered by teens for teens who have chosen to have their cases heard by their peers. The teen jury focuses on coming up with a restorative sentence that will help the offender to repair harms and learn from their mistake. These courts are designed to empower youth, promote accountability, provide access to youth resources, and model peer leadership.

Teen Courts have succeeded in hundreds of communities across the country because they offer an important educational opportunity for young people to learn about how the justice system works and put civics into practice.

To get involved or for more information contact 707-444-0153 or [email protected].

Court Recognition: Pictured left to right, Teen Court Leaders Alex, Sky, and Cody; Teen Court Director Sacha Marini; Teen Court Leaders Alexandra; Humboldt Sponsors representatives Judith Stoffer & Becky Giacomini; Teen Court Leaders Ray, Marcela and Gwen

Humboldt at CAYC Summit: Pictured left to right, Teen Court Coordinator Jenny Downs; youth representatives Alexandra, Sophia, Alex, Marcela, Robert, Hannah; Teen Court Director Sacha Marini