Overview
Overview
Project Rebound (PR) designed and implemented an 10-week empowerment course for youth experiencing incarceration in Humboldt County Juvenile Hall. PR’s Youth Outreach Specialist leads a team of system-impacted students, alumni, and faculty into juvenile hall weekly to teach youth emotional intelligence and other techniques designed to enhance critical thinking and promote emotional maturation. A holistic, multifaceted approach is employed that also includes, but is not limited to, career counseling, individual counseling, reintegration support, and support for youth during court hearings.
Course Formation
Course Formation
Research indicates that the human brain is not fully developed until the mid-20s, around 25 or 26 years old. This scientific insight underpins legislative measures like SB 260, SB 261, and Assembly Bill 1308, which acknowledge the impulsivity and developmental stage of youth. Appreciating the importance of addressing impulsivity constructively, the program focused on developing an emotional intelligence curriculum specifically tailored for young people. Initially implemented in a prison, the curriculum was adapted for a younger audience and introduced as a 10-week course designed to help them manage their emotions and impulses effectively.
The initiative is an empowerment course, driven by the need for individuals with lived experience to engage with youth in settings such as Humboldt County. Historically, there has been a lack of individuals who have personally navigated the challenges of reintegration after experiences in juvenile hall or state prison. Recognizing the value of these perspectives, the program aims to demonstrate to students the pathways to successful reintegration. Participants create reintegration plans, outlining steps for their first day out of custody and extending up to five years.
Workshop and Environment
Workshop and Environment
The workshops focus on building emotional intelligence and group cohesion. Activities include sharing meals, playing games like Mad Libs, and conducting check-ins where youth can express their feelings and experiences. Providing food during sessions is essential, as it encourages youth participation and engagement. The youth gain a platform to express themselves without judgment and develop their own community agreements to adhere to during sessions, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility. Participants also create reintegration plans, outlining steps for their first day out of custody and extending up to five years.