TPAL
Training April 2004 |
Teen Parents
and the Law (TPAL) is a curriculum developed by Street
Law, Inc. of Silver Spring, Maryland. Street Law began
in 1972 when law students at Georgetown University decided
to bring law out of the courtrooms and into the underserved
public school classrooms of Washington, D.C.
In 2004, the
Bar Foundation and its State Center for Law-Related
Education brought the TPAL program to Nebraska. Now,
more
than 90 Nebraska school teachers, counselors,
social workers, corrections educators, and community-based
program coordinators are trained to
themselves become TPAL trainers. Currently,
the TPAL program is being implemented at these sites:
| Ainsworth Community Schools |
Omaha
Public Schools |
| CEDARS Youth Serivces, Lincoln |
Plattsmouth
Public Schools |
| Gering Public Schools |
University
of Nebraska - Cooperative Extension, North Platte |
| Lincoln
Public Schools |
Work Ethic Camp, McCook |
| Nebraska
Correctional Center for Women, York |
|
Goals
of TPAL are
| • |
To
strengthen families; |
| • |
To
lower the incidence of child abuse in the home
by empowering |
| |
teen
parents with knowledge about the law; |
| • |
To break
the cycle of violence with this generation of parents; |
| • |
To make
better citizens and parents of those who are already
teen parents; and |
| • |
To decrease
the percentage of teen parents among the next generation |
| |
through
the ability to make better informed decision and
to solve problems. |
Much of
the success of this law-related education program
depends
on the involvement of “pro-social” adults
or role models. In each community where the TPAL program
is implemented, the Bar Foundation has recruited lawyers,
judges, police officers and other professionals to
be “Pals” for
TPAL classes. Through grant monies received from Youth for Justice,
a division of the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Bar Foundation
is focusing
on expanding
the TPAL program, especially to rural areas and to
minorities. If you are interested in beginning a
TPAL program in your
community or would simply like more information,
please contact Doris, doris@nebarfnd.org or Cindy,
cindy@nebarfnd.org.
|
