White Plains Youth Court Accepting Applications for Training Program

The White Plains Community Youth Court is seeking applicants ages 13 to 18 to participate in its summer training session, which takes place July 6 to Aug. 10.

The program, which is in its second year, is a partnership between the White Plains Youth Bureau and the White Plains Cares Coalition aimed at promoting positive peer leadership and youth development amongst teens. The court’s youth members recommend community service projects for juvenile delinquency cases referred to the program by the Westchester County Department of Probation.

The program is seeking 30 White Plains youth ages 13 to 18  to take part in the training, which  will be supervised program staff, city and county court justices, local law enforcement and legal professionals. The application, which is available in the PDF attached to this story, must be submitted by July 1.

“The experience provided by this youth court will have a positive and long-term impact on the teens who participate because it will give them an opportunity to see firsthand all aspects of our legal system,” Tom Roach, mayor of White Plains, said in a press release. “Participation requires commitment and dedication. It makes me especially proud to see these young people graduate, for they are great examples of those characteristics, and this youth court is a great example of the kind of positive opportunities we try to provide for youth here in White Plains.”

Last year, 100 percent of all the youth that were trained to handle youth court cases passed their final bar exam, graduated from the program and remained in service throughout this past school year.