In May 2016, the Office of Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) conducted a review of data on the effectiveness of arts-based education programs in preventing and/or reducing delinquency. According to the OJJDP review, "Research suggests that the arts can have a positive impact on youth development from birth through adolescence . . . For at-risk and justice-involved youths, the arts can provide an outlet for addressing emotional and/or problem behaviours through opportunities to learn new skills, develop new talents, and express thoughts and ideas in creative and therapeutic ways."
Taking into consideration the data presented in the OJJDP review and other related data, this fall, the CSS Restorative Justice Program will be launching an arts education initiative called ArtXecute. The mission of ArtXecute is to deliberately utilize arts education to help at-risk and justice-involved youths to build positive community among resident artists and peers, nurture healthy social-emotional skills by instructing youths on how to positively communicate their negative emotions and provide delinquency prevention education that will help redirect juveniles' attitude and actions
Not only do the youth involved in ArtXecute stand to benefit from participation in this arts education initiative, but our entire county will also be positively impacted through more productive youth and safter communities.
ArtXecute won't be as successful as it could be without you. Consider making an investment of your time and resources so that as many Wayne County youth as possible can receive quality arts education. For information on how you can donate your time, talent, or money, go to www.Waynecss.org/ArtXecute and/or plan to attend the ArtXecute informational meeting on Tuesday., September 12 at 6 p.m. at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
