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Good Morning,
As an agency, we are continuing to "Thrive in '25," as we highlighted Black History Month and Career and Technical Education Month in February. You can read more about these initiatives for youth and staff below.
I would also like to recognize the visit of former NFL player and coach Mike Singletary to our Indian River facility. Be sure to check out the details in the newsletter of this exciting occasion.
Lastly, if you want some more perspective on our agency, I encourage you to review our "Fact Sheets" located on our website. The link is available at the bottom of this newsletter.
Thank you for subscribing to "DYS Updates!" If you have any immediate questions about our agency, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at (614) 466-4314.
Sincerely,
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During Black History Month, DYS as an agency recognized the impact of black culture and leadership in our communities and among our staff. With cultural competence being one of our core values, we are dedicated to creating an environment where all youth and staff can grow and succeed.
In the video above, staff from across the agency spoke about what Black History Month means to them. Other staff, in the video below, also shared the value of Black history through their words and events at DYS.
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Each facility and school coordinated their own programs and representations about the value of black history.
Cuyahoga Hills General Activities Therapist Yvonne Galloway put together a Black history museum paying homage to African Americans who helped reshape the U.S. and the world. Education, recreation, and support staff also teamed up for an interactive event as youth experienced black culture through cuisine, art, cinema, and trivia. Tap or click on the image below to watch highlights of the event and pop-up museum.
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At Indian River, there were decorations throughout the facility. Youth also tapped into the arts to celebrate black history through a poetry contest and art show.
At the Circleville facility, they incorporated relics of ancient Africa through the power of music and symbols. Director of Federally Funded Grant Programs Scharron Kane explained to youth the meanings and traditional wisdom passed through Adinkra symbols that originated in Ghana. She encouraged youth to incorporate a symbol into their lives for self-improvement and to overcome challenges.
The experience encouraged youth to work together, share rhythms, and get in tune with themselves and each other.
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 February was also Career and Technical Education Month.
We want to recognize and thank our teachers for all the hard work they do educating our students on meaningful skills they can use after release and beyond.
Our programs at the Buckeye United School District offer dozens of industry credentials and skilled certificates that youth can complete to prepare them for in-demand job opportunities and career pathways for when they return to the community.
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 DYS Podcast: The Future in Focus
The second episode of our podcast, The Future in Focus, has been released.
In part two, Public Information Officer and program host Csaba Sukosd spoke with DYS' Human Trafficking Liaison Chelsea Gaffey to discuss the agency's anti-human trafficking efforts in Ohio and nationwide.
You can also listen to the series by following us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. You can also watch each episode on the DYS YouTube channel.
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Drive for Gracehaven Update
DYS staff capped a monthlong awareness initiative by helping survivors of human trafficking in Central Ohio with essential needs.
In recognizing Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the agency collected and donated over 100 items to Gracehaven, a nonprofit that houses and supports young people who have been trafficked. Donated items ranged from clothing, hygiene products, and supplies for school and art.
The Gracehaven partnership is just one of many connections DYS has to human trafficking prevention efforts in Ohio. DYS is one of 16 state agencies that comprise the Governor’s Human Trafficking Task Force which works to prevent trafficking, serve victims, and support a coordinated system to investigate and prosecute human trafficking.
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Sign Language Education
Our Indian River team is taking a 10-week ASL training to better communicate with DYS youth who are deaf or hard of hearing. Our partners with the Greenleaf Family Center are offering this tool so our staff can provide the best possible service for the young men in our care.
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Unique Learning Opportunity |
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 Click on the image above to watch the video!
Our DYS team had an educational experience at this year’s American Correctional Association Winter Conference. Among the attendees was Indian River Youth Specialist Bonnie Silsbe.
The 2023 Youth Specialist of the Year, who has been with DYS for a decade, was invited to attend the event to get a larger understanding about the work being done nationwide to improve the juvenile justice system and to learn from successes elsewhere to help produce better youth outcomes in Ohio.
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NFL Star Mike Singletary Delivers Message of Hope |
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 Former NFL player and coach Mike Singletary recently visited the Indian River facility in Massillon to speak to youth and give them a larger sense of inspiration and hope.
“I’m very fortunate in my life to have people that were able to really speak to me the way I understood, express love to me, and express the reason for being here,” said Singletary about his visit. “It’s an opportunity to come back for a different reason, and that is to be able to give and give them my time.”
Indian River had a total of 17 youth who attended the speaking event as Singletary gave words of encouragement to the young men.
Singletary is best known for playing as a linebacker for the Chicago Bears and later was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
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 The DYS CrossFit program has now officially expanded into Community Correctional Facilities.
The Juvenile Residential Center of Northwest Ohio began offering training sessions with youth. The CrossFit program started in DYS over a year ago as a way for youth to build resilience and community.
The program's growth comes after DYS staff met with state and federal partners to expand the innovative initiative. Those fellow stakeholders include the Department of Homeland Security, CrossFit Crave, CrossFit Fenix, and the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Services Board.
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Putting Lessons to Practice
Students at Indian River are learning how to repair bikes for the Recreation Department. As a further highlight of Career and Technical Education Month, Transportation Systems Teacher Michael Manon is educating the young men on mechanical skills that can be useful for not only a career, but how to take care of their own vehicles.
Indian River also has a horticulture class taught by Brock Ryan where students learn how to grow different kinds of plants.
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Click here to see one of the most recent articles highlighting the work of DYS and the Warren County Juvenile Court!
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DYS Fact Sheets
Are you looking for updates on our facility numbers or other important areas in our agency such as education or staffing?
Click the image or here to review our most recently updated DYS Fact Sheets that include overviews of certain topics and also offers perspective on where DYS is heading in the future.
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