Community engagement hours are a way for youth to engage in their community in a positive way. In a more traditional sense, it is a way for the participant to give back to the community, creating a restorative effect on the offender, their victim and the community. Additionally, participants are able to develop a deeper understanding of how to promote constructive change, form meaningful, working relationships with people outside their peer groups, develop a deeper understanding of the causes and effects of community problems and gain a sense of their own effectiveness.
Youth will be able to:
- Understand the legal and judicial system.
- Repair harm they have done to victims and the community.
- Analyze their own needs and the needs of others.
- Develop competencies that will enable them to become responsible and productive citizens.
- Understand the impact their actions have on others.
- Identify and act upon opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their families, schools, peer groups, and communities.
- Develop a personal stake in the future of their community.
- Increase life and coping skills.
- Reconnect with the community in a positive way.