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April 20, 2016 - Thirty four King’s College students are serving as volunteer mentors for the Juvenile Justice program.

The goal of the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program is to engage at-risk youth in positive peer relationships and experiences with college students to show at-risk youth another pathway to adulthood outside the criminal track.

Eligible juveniles are those who have been charged with a summary offense, a misdemeanor or non-violent felony, or have been identified by a guidance counselor, district magistrate, probation officer, County Judge, Youth Aid Panel, or parent as exhibiting potential law-violating behavior. 

The program was announced in October 2011 and involves trained King’s student volunteers meeting with area youth on-campus for two supervised 120-minute sessions a week for six weeks. 

The two-hour mentoring sessions are divided into three sections; homework assistance, an activity period, and a meal in the King’s dining area.

Pictured, seated, from left, are mentors Leslie Torres, Elen O’Donnell, Christopher Boyle, Ryan English, Brittany Marra, Meghan Colburn, Katherine Cryan, and Amber Ostan.

Pictured in second row, from left, are mentors Jenna Baron, Gabriella McNulty, Tyler Cruz, Christopher Nygren, Ryan Singley, Lucas Seaberg, Patrick Reilly, Michael Martina, Danielle Ortolani, Ronald Ippolite, and Gary Poulson.

Pictured in top row, from left, is Lou Palmeri. Adjunct lecturer in sociology and co-faculty advisor of the Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program;  mentors Tyler McGuigan, Eric Haenggi, Zachary Funk, Evan Foster, Joshua Blaker, Christopher Sulitka, Austin Dobleman, and Daniel Lynch.

Absent from photo was Paul Lindenmuth, associate technical professor of criminal justice and co-faculty advisor of the program, and mentors Katie Christman, Kayla Havens, Jared Miller, Jordan Perdue, Annie Ritsick, Michael Rychwalski, and Marcus Sypeck.