Chester Youth Court
Sponsor: Ciara O Williams
Email: cwillia3 [at] swarthmore.edu
What's the mission of your project or organization?
To empower Chester youth by expanding and utilizing their knowledge of
law and peer mediation. Mission: To challenge the school to prison
pipeline by encouraging peer mediation and social activism through
Youth Court.
Chester Youth Court enables student to run a youth court during the
school day and after school. The youth court implements "restorative
justice" when dealing with minor infringements referred to
participants by the climate manager of the school. Youth courts are
entirely student run--students take the role of bailiff, judge, jury,
and youth advocate. Instead of punitive punishments, the court issues
things like mandatory or suggested tutoring, a self reflective paper,
etc.
What challenges or problems do you think a mobile app could solve for your project or organization?
Currently, the Chester Youth Court is in the process of making a
student manual which will include everything the students need to know
to run a youth court. The manual will be loosely based on the
instructor's manual--which is quite lengthy. Kids a very tech savvy
these days so a mobile app would be an interactive and engaging way to
present our new student Youth Court manual.
