The theme developed by the Student Advisory Committee for the 1999 Summit is "Creating Safer Communities." The Committee selected policies and programs addressing relationship violence, gun violence, and hate crimes. Working together with teachers, community leaders, and representatives of government, students study, discuss, and respond to the problem of violence in their communities using a special five-unit curriculum prepared by CRFC. In addition to a school and community survey on policies and programs addressing these issues, students conduct a service project in their school and/or community.
The program culminates on April 29 in a day-long "summit" at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, where 200 student delegates representing each campus will meet with local, state, and national policymakers to address these issues. The summit includes a live teleconference from the U.S. Capitol and Springfield, IL as well as a service fair exhibiting local and state service organizations that provide young people with the opportunities.
The Illinois Youth Summit is part of Youth for Justice, a national violence-prevention initiative sponsored by the United States Department of Justice through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Major funding is provided in part by the Learn and Serve America of the Corporation for National Service and the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority
Click on the buttons above, left for further information. The 1998 Student Curriculum and the 1996 Youth for Justice Planning Guide are "Portable Document Format" (pdf). Acrobat® Reader software to display and print PDF files is available for free download by clicking on the "Get Acrobat® Reader" button to the left.
For additional information, please contact Beth Swanson, State Programs Director, at 312/663-9057 or via email at swanson@crfc.org