The Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) is excited to continue to offer a number of courses that provide University of Nebraska students with valuable, hands-on experience in the juvenile justice field. Students can choose from two tracks: a research track or an internship track.
- Research track: This is an opportunity to develop program evaluation skills. Students are matched with a rural juvenile justice program and perform an evaluation to meet the program administrator’s needs. Students learn how to assess a program’s needs, develop materials, execute data collection, analyze program data, and present data to officials within the system.
- Internship track: This is an opportunity to participate in the day-to-day duties of someone working within a rural juvenile justice program. Student activities vary, depending upon program staff needs.
Both tracks give students insight into how juvenile justice programs function and provide perspective on the unique challenges faced by rural programs. Plus, students gain invaluable real world experience and develop a network of professional contacts.
Juvenile Mentoring
In this two-semester course, students mentor youth who are transitioning back into the community from a Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center (YRTC). The goal of the program is to reduce the rate of recidivism among the juvenile reentry population in Nebraska.
Mentoring begins in the YRTC and continues once youth leave the facility. Mentors are there to help with the transition home and will continue to work with mentees in the community.
Mentors help youth achieve the goals necessary for successful reentry, some of which include finishing high school, applying for college, finding and applying for a job, establishing healthy coping strategies, and developing positive relationships.
Questions?
Interested UNL students should contact Dr. Anne Hobbs at ahobbs@unomaha.edu for permission to enroll for course credit in the opportunities mentioned.