​GET INVOLVED
TODAY!
We have two important youth programs kicking off in 2023 and we need your support now.
UPCOMING PROJECTS.
The D.A.C. Way 101
After-School Program
The unmet demand for after-school programs in Alabama is high. For every child in after-school, four are waiting for an available program. The D.A.C. Way 101 program objectives are to keep kids safe and out of trouble, develop confidence and responsible decision-making, help them develop critical life skills and make them feel supported by promoting good nutrition, strengthening their academic performance, and providing opportunities for physical activity.
The D.A.C. Way 101 after-school program will operate four days/week and will serve 80 youth from low-income families assisting them to:
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Avoid or reduce obesity
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Perform well in school and graduate high school
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Stay safe and avoid becoming involved in the justice system*
Therefore, the pillars of the program are Health & Nutrition, Tutoring and Physical Activities while instilling The D.A.C. Way’s values: Dedication, Accountability and Commitment.
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The cost to implement the proposed annual, best practices-based, after-school program is $1,000 per youth, $80,000 in total.
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*In Alabama, juvenile crime peaks from 2 to 6 p.m. on school days, with about 36 percent of all juvenile crime on those days occurring during the hours following the last school bell.
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YIPP
Youth Incarceration Prevention Program
In Lee County, Alabama, the youth incarceration rate remains at an alarming level. There are today over 600 youth in the area’s justice system. The D.A.C Way YIPP Pilot Program is a community effort to reduce youth crime in the county.
Most of the youth in the justice system have not graduated from high school. Dropouts typically earn less, suffer from poorer health, and are more likely to end up again in jail than their diploma-earning peers. Youth dropouts are not able to land well-paying jobs.
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YIPP keeps youth offenders from going back to prison by:
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Addressing their behavioral health issues such as low self-esteem, substance abuse, anger management, destructive family issues, among others.
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Providing educational services that ensure they graduate from high school or earn a GED.
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Receive job readiness and job skills training that prepare them to be hired for living wage positions in available jobs in Lee County commercial and other sectors.
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The Pilot will cost $2,500/participant for 40 youth offenders, a total of $100,000. This is in comparison to the cost of keeping a youth offender in prison for six months or more than $40,000/offender.
MAKE AN IMPACT.
Tell us
how you want to be involved!