75% of youth released from juvenile correctional facilities are arrested again within 3 years. Parents of these youth report there are very few resources to help
turn things around when kids are in trouble. These youth are labelled routinely as “at risk,” but at Four Corners Group, they are called “at promise.”
Four Corners Group was established to restore hope for youth in crisis by providing pathways to a thriving adulthood. Their Pathways to Success program is for youth who have demonstrated at risk behavior and are referred through middle high and high school authorities, and in some cases have committed juvenile offenses. Through a multi-week cohort providing character education, job readiness training, and employment/internship opportunities, they work to educate and empower youth who are at-risk for incarceration. The Pathways program supports youth referred by the Cobb Juvenile Court System, traditional and alternative schools, and Cobb Youth Detention Centers. The goal at the end of each cohort program is to avoid recidivism by providing participants with the assets, encouragement, and opportunities needed to change their trajectory and help them realize their full potential.
The youth in this program face challenges presented by single parent homes, gang violence, drug abuse, incarcerated family members, or a lack of positive role models. Breaking the cycle of generational incarceration and poverty is the goal of the Pathways program. For this reason, they also provide a program for parents to reinforce new skills at home with the youth.
President and Founder, William Johnson, reports that students who successfully complete the program are talking about how their lives have changed. “One female student recently reported that going through the public speaking program, a part of the cohort training, gave her the confidence to take on extracurricular activities at school. Her performance in school has improved, and now her friends are coming to her to ask for her advice. It’s creating the foundation for healthy relationships,” said Johnson.
While attending a community programming luncheon, Johnson learned about Cobb Community Foundation’s work in the Cobb nonprofit community. The assistance offered to nonprofits through accounting support and exposure to a larger donor pool convinced him that starting a fund through CCF would be one way to help the program resources grow.
“It costs $90,000 per year to house a youth in a correction facility. But it only costs $1,625 per student to go through this program,” William Johnson, Four Corners Group. Through the help of donations and community partnerships, these programs are touching the lives of up to 100 students per year in our community, and there are plans coming together to grow the program.”
You can help support the important work being done at the Four Corners Group by donating here.
