The Youth Justice Board is looking for teenagers who want to create policy changes to improve the lives of New York City public school students. The Youth Justice Board is open to New York City students age 14-18. In the 2013-2014 year, the Board will study chronic absenteeism and implement policy recommendations to defeat absenteeism in New York City schools. 

The 2012- 2013 Youth Board made ten recommendations to Chancellor Dennis Walcott on how to reduce chronic absenteeism. Suggestions ranged from taking a closer look at school security to providing peer mentors to students who are frequently absent. Read the full list of recommendations here.

“Next year’s [board will] focus on implementing select recommendations from the report. After receiving training in research, public speaking, and leadership skills, members of the Youth Justice Board will work to bring ideas from this report into reality. One possible project might be creating informational materials for young people and their parents that help them connect daily school attendance with positive future outcomes,” said Linda Baird, director of the program.

Students commit to the Justice Board for a 10 months and receive a stipend. Applications are due by Friday, July 12.

Apply here. Application materials also available online at www.courtinnovation.org/yjb.  For more information about the program, or to request hard-copies of application materials, please contact Linda Baird at (646) 386-5925, or via email at yjb@courtinnovation.org.