Chief Probation Officer Terri L. McDonald (C) is joined by UPS representatives and members of L.A. County Probation staff. The Probation Department, through its partnership with Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), continued its commitment to providing educational and culturally enriching experiences to youth under supervision throughout 2018. The Department’s juvenile rehabilitation program is focused on providing the youth in its care with educational opportunities that engage their minds, build communication skills, and expose them to new thoughts and ideas. Many of the youth in juvenile residential treatment camps have had little opportunity to experience these local resources. Logistics Program Offers New Career Paths UPS Partnership creates Job Opportunities for Probation Youth A new career training program in the logistics field began this year, offering youth in camps new career options. This unique partnership between Probation, East Los Angeles College, and College Curriculum Expands Probation Offered More College Classes Than Ever Before in 2018 This year Probation expanded its college program, offering more classes at more locations than ever before. Students interested in earning college credits can choose from among 11 different courses offered through Probation’s collaboration with its college partners. The expanded college program included courses in African-American Studies, Transportation, and Kinesiology. This expansion included the addition of instructor- led classes at Camp Scott, Camp Afflerbaugh, and Camp Paige. Courses are also available on line for youth in all residential camps and halls. Over 300 youth enrolled to take college classes in 2018. Class Act Youth Earn Degrees through Education Program Believing education is the key to building young people’s self- confidence and is the foundation for a successful life, Probation and LACOE dedicate themselves to creating scholastic opportunities for youth in its care. Each year thousands of hours of classroom education are offered to Probation youth in camps to further their high school education and earn credits, leading them to receive their diplomas. In collaboration with LACOE, youth are carefully evaluated and placed in appropriate small class settings helping them fulfill their mandated educational requirements and supporting their pursuit of a higher education. Success Is Our Future In May 2018, the annual “Success Is Our Future” scholarship awards dinner took place, awarding thousands of dollars to probation youth who have been accepted to and will attend various colleges, universities, and vocational programs. Operation Graduation 54 graduating youth participated in “Operation Graduation” at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown Los Angeles in June 2018, celebrating the completion of their high school requirements. Probation’s “Paul Higa Memorial Scholarship Fund” awarded $500 scholarships to 17 students, and $1,000 scholarships to three students to be used at the school of their choice where they are accepted. Education and Opportunity United Parcel Service (UPS) provides college-level courses in the field of logistics and outlines career paths for those youth who complete the program. Logistics is one of the fastest grow- ing career fields in the U.S. with great potential for advance- ment and high-paying salaries. Probation youth who are least 18 years of age and have completed the required coursework have the opportunity to apply for employment with UPS once they are released from camp. Since the program’s inception in the fall of 2018, four young men have already been hired by the UPS within weeks of leaving a Probation facility. Probation staff have been strong advocates of the program and support the youth, including taking them to job interviews while they are still in camp. Teaching Tolerance Youth Visit Museum of Tolerance The power of words, personal responsibility, and the dynamics of discrimination were all topics of discussion for probation youth as they experienced the “Tools for Tolerance for Teens” program at the Museum of Tolerance. Throughout 2018, pro- bation youth were moved and enlightened as they toured the Museum of Tolerance’s interactive exhibits and messages about the destructiveness of hate and the power of acceptance. The tours were funded from a generous grant from the Museum of Tolerance allowing youth from every L.A. County Probation Camp to visit the museum and learn that while the actions of the past can shape the present, they can control their future. “This experience will make the students more sensitive to the plight of others and makes our history lessons that much more meaningful.” — Los Angeles County Office of Education English and Social Studies teacher Zippora Stewart “You can only fight hate with love. Seeing things this way is very different from being in class. This makes everything more real.” – Youth from Camp Afflerbaugh L.A. County Probation Department | 2018 Annual Report 33 32 L.A. County Probation Department | 2018 Annual Report