Importance of Community Connections: Strategies for Intervention & Prevention
Format
Poster Presentation
Location
Harborside Center
Strand #1
Family & Community
Relevance
The proposal focuses on the importance of community in intervention and prevention.
Brief Program Description
Community connections play a vital role in strategies for intervention and prevention. An interactive presentation will focus on successful collaborations involving holistic approaches, service-learning and a comparison and contrast of communities (East Tennessee and the LA Watts District).
Summary
The importance of community connections is vital for successful at risk youth strategies. Collaboration allows for inclusion, fosters trust and the potential for greater success. A holistic community approach provides support, resources and can draw needed parental involvement. Areas for developing collaborative action will be addressed such as community readiness, conflict resolution, diversity, sustainability, and measuring impact. Service-Learning will be defined along with its positive impacts. Research indicates that service-learning can contribute to academic achievement, reduction of risky behaviors, civic responsibility and provides opportunities for career exploration. A strong component of both is that the “true experts” are involved in the whole process especially in regards to decision-making. It is important for the stakeholders (youth) to be an active part of the process. Youth and community participants often are included in discussions but are not always given the respect and ability to be a part of the decision making process. The most successful community based initiatives are those where young people are included at the decision making table and are empowered to contribute and make decisions that reflect the community needs and improve lives.
Successful programs from East Tennessee will be reviewed. The programs include a school partnership for a positive alternative to suspension, peer mediation and drama programs. A comparison of the East Tennessee community and the Watts District of LA will also be covered. Data and case studies will be provided to support the strategies along with interactive activities to allow for audience participation and a Question and Answer session.
Evidence
Data and case studies will be covered to support the strategies along with interactive activities for the participants.
Biographical Sketch
Mary R Langenbrunner, PhD
Dr. Langenbrunner is a professor of human services at East Tennessee State University. She has served as a rule 31 Family Mediator for the Administrative offices of the Court for 20 years and as the coordinator for the 1st Judicial District Court Clinic for the past 10 years. She works with high conflict divorcing families and also juvenile court cases. She teaches courses in family studies and her research interest is high conflict families.
Jamie Branam Kridler, Ph.D.
Dr Kridler is a professor of human services and women’s studies at East Tennessee State University and has an extensive background in youth violence prevention programs. Her role as a Tennessee evaluator of the National Funding Collaborative on Violence Prevention (NFCVP) has given her access to a large body of research and training on the topic. She developed and implemented a program for sixth grade children in three East Tennessee counties on Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention, created “Looking Glass Players,” a theatre program for four-eight year old at risk children teaching conflict resolution and anger management, and serves on the steering committee of the Governor’s Community Prevention Initiative (GCPI) Task program. Her research and creative efforts along with years of teaching sociology, child and family studies, and human services courses make this a natural and beneficial way to share information.
Teresa Brooks Taylor
Ms. Taylor is an instructor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at East Tennessee State University and also serves as the Director of the Service-Learning and America Reads Programs. She has been involved with service-learning both directly and indirectly for over seventeen years. She has taught in various disciplines, including Human Services, Sociology, Women's Studies, and Service-Learning. In addition to teaching she has worked extensively in the non-profit sector.
Keyword Descriptors
community, collaboration, strategies, service-learning
Presentation Year
2016
Start Date
3-8-2016 4:00 PM
End Date
3-8-2016 5:30 PM
Recommended Citation
Taylor, Teresa; Kridler, Jamie Branam; and Langenbrunner, Mary, "Importance of Community Connections: Strategies for Intervention & Prevention" (2016). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 84.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2016/2016/84
Importance of Community Connections: Strategies for Intervention & Prevention
Harborside Center
Community connections play a vital role in strategies for intervention and prevention. An interactive presentation will focus on successful collaborations involving holistic approaches, service-learning and a comparison and contrast of communities (East Tennessee and the LA Watts District).
