TRENTON
- The New Jersey Governor’s Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP)
Committee has awarded a grant to the Pennsville
school district to provide young people,
with classroom and workplace experience
in the food service industry. The award
is in the amount of $20,000.
This Summer Expansion Program Grant allows
the students of Penns Grove, Pennsville,
Salem City, and Woodstown to participate
in activities that will prepare them for
careers in the food service industry.
The program entitled, “Exploring
Careers in the Food System”, provides
a summer work program for students ages
14 to 17 and trains them in various areas
of the food service industry, such as
service, manufacturing, and retailing.
Students also participate in job shadowing
and field trips to gain knowledge of the
various careers in the food service industry.
The program is offered by the Mid-Atlantic
States Food Systems Education in Pennsville
in partnership with the Pathways Project,
Inc.
“Exploring
Careers in the Food System program has
opened the eyes of a number of young people
to the exciting careers available in the
food service industry, where one out of
five jobs in the United States is. The
funding provided by the JJDP Committee
helps to provide services to young people
who are in need of resources and looking
for ways to demonstrate their abilities.
We have seen the self-esteem of youngsters
rise at the end of the summer part of
the program. A number of the young people
who have participated in the exploring
careers in the food system have gone on
to post-secondary education. We are proud
of our relationship with the JJC and JJDP
Committee and appreciate their support
both financially and personally. We hope
to continue our program in Salem County
and look forward to working with the JJC
and the JJDP Committee to expand this
program throughout New Jersey,”
said Glen Donelson, Project Director,
Exploring Careers in the Food System.
The Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC),
as the designated planning authority for
the allocation of federal grant funds,
works with the JJDP Committee to identify
appropriate programs, award funds and
monitor their success. The JJDP Committee
is responsible for the distribution of
more than $3 million in federal grant
awards annually to local and state agencies.
The JJDP Committee reviews proposals for
programs that aim to reduce delinquency
and/or seek to create local delinquency
prevention strategies. Programs that receive
funding work with individuals, families
and communities to reduce the risk factors
associated with delinquency. Programs
that demonstrate success are eligible
for continued funding for a maximum of
three consecutive years.
The JJC is committed to helping local
communities address the specific needs
of their young people. It is important
to allow these young people a chance to
engage in positive programs that keep
them on the right track during the summer
months,” said Howard L. Beyer, Executive
Director, JJC. We know that the earlier
we reach out to children, the better chance
we have of ensuring that they lead productive
lives.
Created in 1995 to bring together services
for delinquent young people, the JJC is
the single state agency responsible for
providing juvenile correctional rehabilitation
and parole services. The JJC also funds
local prevention programs that divert
young people from involvement in the juvenile
justice system.
The project is monitored by staff from
the Program Development and Prevention
Services arm of the JJC’s Office
of Local Programs and Services.
For more information on the JJC, please
visit www.njjjc.com.
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