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Q&A
Council member Stevens discusses education and program improvements for youth in detention
0:46:42
·
4 min
Council Member Althea Stevens engages in a discussion with ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser about improving educational opportunities and programs for young people in detention facilities. They address concerns about repetitive college courses, expanding course offerings, and introducing various skill development programs.
- Stevens emphasizes the need for more diverse and advanced educational options for detained youth
- Dannhauser highlights ongoing efforts to enhance literacy, SYEP enrollment, and facility improvement projects
- The conversation touches on the importance of civic engagement and voting rights education for young people in detention
Althea Stevens
0:46:42
Since the preliminary plan, has ACS made any changes to increase access to higher education?
Jess Dannhauser
0:46:48
We have continued to fund the College Choice Program.
0:46:52
We're gonna see that is that's growing dramatically over the last couple years, and so we are we do have additional dollars in the Youth Safety and Success Program.
0:47:03
Within detention we have expanded programming as well with CUNY.
0:47:08
That's not a huge cost to us because we've got great partners at CUNY, but we have Hostos Community College, we have the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and we're continuing to expand those programs.
Althea Stevens
0:47:20
When we were at the detention center on our visit a couple months back, one of the things the young people expressed concern about was that they were taking the same college courses over and over again, they were doing like the beginning stages.
0:47:33
Have we had time to address that and are we able to expand what is being offered to these young people as far as like college courses?
Jess Dannhauser
0:47:40
Yes, we brought that back to our our partners at CUNY, they're working on trying to make sure that there's Obviously we wanna make sure we meet the need, that the young people have the skills that they need to continue to advance in college, but at the same time to have additional programming.
0:47:56
We changed this summer, would love to have you come back out.
0:48:00
We're doing a big push around literacy, a lot around SYEP enrollment, and a lot of work to try to get young people engaged.
0:48:10
College, also doing some of, you also heard them talk about some of the work that they want to do around the facilities, painting, we're making sure that they have the capacity to do that, and that is ready.
0:48:22
So we're trying to beef up the program across the board.
0:48:26
As you know, you know, we've had more success in getting young people across the finish line with their high school equivalency or their high school diploma, and so this has been a major push to make sure that they have what they need from college and beyond.
Althea Stevens
0:48:38
Yeah, I definitely want to keep talking about that because we should be flooding young people with resources and opportunities so that when they come back they are set up for success and you know talking to those young people there, axing we want more, we want more and not being able to give that to them is a huge concern of mine.
0:48:57
So definitely want us to continue to talk about that because I know even in your testimony you cited the work that's being done with Hostos and BNCC but that that was not evident from talking to the young people of like they're getting what they need.
0:49:09
One of the young men said that he had been there for quite some time and he had took the course several times and so you know for me it's just thinking like we live in an age where they can do the classes virtually and it doesn't make sense why if they are able to advance that we're not accommodating that.
0:49:26
So definitely want us to continue to have conversations about them not only having access to college, but also career ready.
0:49:34
I know some of the young people were doing some of the stuff through SYP and they were talking about gardening and holocaust and all these things that they were learning and painting, but also just making sure that we're also setting them up with some type of skills as well.
Jess Dannhauser
0:49:47
Absolutely, and different kinds of skill development, not only around sort of trade skills, but also we're doing work around debate and a variety of ways to get young people engaged and hope to have you out for some of those events.
Althea Stevens
0:50:03
Yeah, and I remember even us talking about doing some civic engagement stuff with the young people because that was another thing that came up there and having conversations about and so even thinking about how even when they're they're in the secure facility, are we making sure that they're civically engaged, what that means, and how do we have them to start to advocate so when they come out they can be well adjusted.
Jess Dannhauser
0:50:28
And vote and vote, we've got work that we're doing on that as Oh
Althea Stevens
0:50:31
I know, so we did have a conversation about that and I was supposed to come back and tell Councilor Marisa Youssef and Raleigh because I volunteered them to come back with me and talk to the young people because they requested it, so I forgot to tell you guys that.
Jess Dannhauser
0:50:45
We would love that.
Althea Stevens
0:50:46
The kids did request that so sorry.
0:50:49
So he knows now.