Overview

The Office of Education collaborates with the Florida Department of Education and local district school boards to ensure implementation and compliance with applicable state and federal laws, rules, and regulations of programs for youth served in DJJ settings. The Office of Education is committed to ensure youth served by the Department are afforded the opportunity to obtain a high quality education.

The Department of Education (DOE) serves as the lead agency for juvenile justice education programs, curriculum, support services, and resources. To this end, DOE and DJJ each designate a Coordinator for Juvenile Justice Education Programs to serve as the point of contact for resolving issues not addressed by district school boards and to provide each department’s participation in the following activities:

• Training, collaborating, and coordinating with the Department of Juvenile Justice, district school boards, educational contract providers, and juvenile justice providers, whether state operated or contracted.
• Collecting information on the academic performance of students in juvenile justice programs and reporting on the results.
• Developing academic and career protocols that provide guidance to district school boards and providers in all aspects of education programming, including records transfer and transition.

Education Transition Representatives in each school district can assist with transferring educational records, provide guidance through the transition process, and provide information to other districts on local school options.

Teacher of the Year:

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FDJJ) recognizes the Teacher of the Year finalists for 15-16.

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) honored Caleb Bates with the 2015-16 Juvenile Justice Teacher of the Year Award during a ceremony at the 23rd National Symposium conference.

Mr. Bates is a Math and Science teacher at Les Peters Academy in Hillsborough County.   Starting his teaching career in traditional schools frequently left him with an “empty feeling” prior to coming to the Juvenile Justice school 3 years ago.   When asked why he would leave the traditional setting, he responded with, “they need me and I need them”.  

The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) also recognized Kelli Goff and Charli Wutzler as finalists for the 2015-2016 Juvenile Justice Teacher of the Year. 

Ms. Goff is a Reading teacher at the PACE Center for Girls in Pasco County, where she believes that if the girls are engaged, they are learning.

Ms. Wutzler is an Intensive Reading teacher at the PACE Center for Girls in Marion County, where she believes that each student offers a special and unique perspective to the dynamics of the classroom.

Scholarships & Financial Aid

• Youth Investment Award is available through the Florida Juvenile Justice Foundation and can help youth served by DJJ pay for tuition, school supplies, transportation, and other things needed to help achieve academic and career goals.
• New Start Scholarship: The Tallahassee Community College Foundation has begun the process of accepting applications. The New Start Scholarship is an endowed scholarship fund that gives the opportunity of a new start to DJJ-Involved Youth. Apply by returning the application, essay, reference letters, and transcript to: TCC Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships  444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32304.
• Federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) is the largest source of aid in America, providing funds for grants, work-study, and federal loans for students attending four-year colleges or universities, community colleges, and career schools. Learn more on the types of aid available, how to apply, and more through FAFSA, Student Aid, and the U.S. DOE website.
• Use Fast Web to do a free online search for available scholarships.
• Use https://weirdscholarships.net/ to search for unique scholarship opportunities.
• College Affordability Guide http://www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org/
• Online Education Guide https://www.collegedegreesonline.com/programs
• Youth Investment Application
• TCC New Start Scholarship Application
• Use Everything You Need to Know About Winning Scholarships to understand scholarships and types of scholarships available.

MyFloridaYouth.com

The My Florida Youth website was developed to serve as a portal and central location to access all of the youth resources available through Florida’s government agencies and departments. Housed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the site focuses heavily on educating youth about their career and education options while providing links to other Youth Partnership resources for parents and professionals.