In partnership with the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges and the Governor’s Council on Juvenile Justice, the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) presented the 6th Annual Community Recognition Awards this month. Project Jericho, a nationally acclaimed outreach program based at Clark State Community College, was recognized along with participant Angel Fannin under the Linda Modry Young Woman of Achievement Award.
The annual ceremony honors once troubled youth who have turned their lives around with the help of a local organization that specializes in youth services. As a collaboration with the Clark State Performing Arts Center and the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services, Project Jericho provides quality in-depth art experiences to youth and families in a safe, sustained environment.
Project Jericho has an initiative with the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center to introduce detained youth with artistic and creative skills to arts programming. Fannin joined the organization when she was held at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center in January 2013. After having a hard time at school and home, she mastered the guitar, learned how to write and record her original music and participated in an in-depth photography project through the program.
Today Fannin is an A/B student, has been honored at school for excellent attendance and art achievement and shares her art by singing in church, coffee houses, talent shows and Project Jericho’s gospel choir.
The Linda Modry Young Woman of Achievement Award was named after Linda Modry, a retired deputy director of parole and community services for DYS. Throughout her career, Modry was passionate about seeing youth, especially young women, succeed. She was key to the agency creating and preserving collaborative relationships with juvenile courts and community programs.
Project Jericho is the first program to be awarded twice. It was previously awarded in 2010. For more information about Project Jericho, visit www.project-jericho.com