New Frontiers Administering Courtrooms To Classrooms
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
In its third year now, Courtrooms to Classrooms reaches 13 different elementary schools and is administered by New Frontiers Inc.
County judges do not teach the course, though they may be occasional guest speakers.
When the program first began, the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office was in charge of the program. At that time, Rob Reneker was the assistant to the prosecutor and the lone teacher responsible for the program. Reneker is now the executive director of New Frontiers.
"We fine-tuned a lot of the lessons to meet the needs the teachers felt were appropriate," Reneker said.
New Frontiers took over the program when the prosecutor determined there wasn't enough funding in the prosecutor's budget. Original funding came out of the discretionary funds of the prosecutor's office.
New Frontiers is trying to establish a steady fund for the Courtrooms to Classrooms program. Sandy Carbone, of New Frontiers Inc., said First Presbyterian Church of Warsaw, the Biomet Foundation and Dr. Steve Ashton are strong supporters of the program. Several grants are being pursued.
Courtrooms to Classrooms was developed as a school program for students in grades five through eight. It's a seven-week program that meets one hour per week in each classroom.
The main topic is the justice system and the roles of the people in the justice system. Students are walked through the consequences an adult faces in the justice system as well as consequences for juveniles.
The first class hour provides students the opportunity to explore the justice system. The second class exposes kids to the variety of decisions individuals make each day. The goal of the third class guides students in developing sophisticated and analytical skills.
The fourth class session defines the differences between adult and juvenile justice systems. In the fifth class, students are taught how group membership influences individual behavior. Session six introduces students to a variety of justice system professionals and includes a mock trial is also held.
"Every kid has a role, whether it's a main role or the role of the juror," Reneker said of the mock trial. "To date, we've had at least one jury come back with a guilty and one come back with a non-guilty verdict (for each case)."
The last Courtrooms to Classrooms session assesses the program's progress.
The Kosciusko County program is the pilot program for Indiana and began three years ago at Madison Elementary.
"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," Reneker said.
Four local attorneys - David Kolbe, Bryon Berry, Amber Blackford and Brad Voelz - have given their time to teach the program to local schools to help Reneker.
"They've each kind of adopted a school and that's been helpful to me," Reneker said. "The attorneys who are doing it say it is very worthwhile, very fulfilling."
All Warsaw elementary schools have the program in place as well as Sacred Heart, Lakeland Christian Academy and Pierceton Elementary.
New Frontiers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that has 10 programs in two counties - LaGrange and Kosciusko. They help juveniles get their lives together.
Their mission statement is "to establish, operate and maintain both residential and non-residential programs for troubled, underprivileged, at-risk youth and their families; providing them with education, treatment and counseling services in a hope-filled environment that promotes social, emotional, behavioral and spiritual lifestyle changes that prepare youth as productive, contributing citizens within their communities." [[In-content Ad]]
In its third year now, Courtrooms to Classrooms reaches 13 different elementary schools and is administered by New Frontiers Inc.
County judges do not teach the course, though they may be occasional guest speakers.
When the program first began, the Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office was in charge of the program. At that time, Rob Reneker was the assistant to the prosecutor and the lone teacher responsible for the program. Reneker is now the executive director of New Frontiers.
"We fine-tuned a lot of the lessons to meet the needs the teachers felt were appropriate," Reneker said.
New Frontiers took over the program when the prosecutor determined there wasn't enough funding in the prosecutor's budget. Original funding came out of the discretionary funds of the prosecutor's office.
New Frontiers is trying to establish a steady fund for the Courtrooms to Classrooms program. Sandy Carbone, of New Frontiers Inc., said First Presbyterian Church of Warsaw, the Biomet Foundation and Dr. Steve Ashton are strong supporters of the program. Several grants are being pursued.
Courtrooms to Classrooms was developed as a school program for students in grades five through eight. It's a seven-week program that meets one hour per week in each classroom.
The main topic is the justice system and the roles of the people in the justice system. Students are walked through the consequences an adult faces in the justice system as well as consequences for juveniles.
The first class hour provides students the opportunity to explore the justice system. The second class exposes kids to the variety of decisions individuals make each day. The goal of the third class guides students in developing sophisticated and analytical skills.
The fourth class session defines the differences between adult and juvenile justice systems. In the fifth class, students are taught how group membership influences individual behavior. Session six introduces students to a variety of justice system professionals and includes a mock trial is also held.
"Every kid has a role, whether it's a main role or the role of the juror," Reneker said of the mock trial. "To date, we've had at least one jury come back with a guilty and one come back with a non-guilty verdict (for each case)."
The last Courtrooms to Classrooms session assesses the program's progress.
The Kosciusko County program is the pilot program for Indiana and began three years ago at Madison Elementary.
"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," Reneker said.
Four local attorneys - David Kolbe, Bryon Berry, Amber Blackford and Brad Voelz - have given their time to teach the program to local schools to help Reneker.
"They've each kind of adopted a school and that's been helpful to me," Reneker said. "The attorneys who are doing it say it is very worthwhile, very fulfilling."
All Warsaw elementary schools have the program in place as well as Sacred Heart, Lakeland Christian Academy and Pierceton Elementary.
New Frontiers Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that has 10 programs in two counties - LaGrange and Kosciusko. They help juveniles get their lives together.
Their mission statement is "to establish, operate and maintain both residential and non-residential programs for troubled, underprivileged, at-risk youth and their families; providing them with education, treatment and counseling services in a hope-filled environment that promotes social, emotional, behavioral and spiritual lifestyle changes that prepare youth as productive, contributing citizens within their communities." [[In-content Ad]]