Youth With Faces Launches Partnership with Collin County Juvenile Probation Services
Youth With Faces staff and board celebrate the program launch with Collin County Juvenile Probation Services leadership: Carrie Stumfall, YWF Board Member; Dr. Jazminda Ryan, YWF Director of Programs; Chandra McCormack, YWF Board Chair; H. Lynn Hadnot, Collin County Director; Chris Quadri, YWF CEO; Mike Combest, Collin County Deputy Director; Anne Sibley, Collin County Superintendent; Ray Pitts and Nikki Jacks, YWF Board Members.
Youth With Faces has launched career education programs with Collin County Juvenile Probation Services. The partnership will provide juvenile residents the opportunity to learn and practice social, job and life skills that are essential to their success when returning to their families and communities.
Youth With Faces has served North Texas juvenile residents for more than 20 years, helping them gain employable skills and a network of support so they can realize the unique gifts they can contribute to the community. Its programs include Career Readiness, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, industry certifications, apprenticeships and comprehensive reentry support. These programs are led by professionals with trauma-informed training and years of experience working with opportunity youth and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system.
“Our youth often come from hard or difficult places and it is critically important to provide them with life and career skills that will help them successfully navigate the challenges they face in their respective circumstances,” said H. Lynn Hadnot, Director Collin County Juvenile Probation Services. “The Juvenile Probation Department is excited for the opportunities our kids and families are being afforded with this partnership. The acquired skills, coupled with reentry support services, will change the life trajectory for so many kids and families; foster community protection; and build better and stronger communities.”
Youth With Faces has the goal to provide every long-term Collin County juvenile resident the opportunity to explore career pathways and set personal goals for success before returning to their communities. In a third-party study of Youth With Faces programs, fewer than 13 percent of youth who received training returned to juvenile detention compared to a statewide recidivism rate of 66 percent. Additionally, 75 percent of Youth With Faces participants secured a job within the first year after their release.
“It’s important that we hold youth accountable, without holding them back.” said Chris Quadri, CEO of Youth With Faces. “We strive to foster a collaborative community that complements our work- and life-skills education programs and connects youth to community-based resources. And, we are grateful for Collin County’s partnership in helping juvenile residents develop character, connections and capabilities to overcome challenges and fulfill their personal goals for success.”
Collin County juvenile residents will have the opportunity to explore career pathways through a Career Readiness program that runs on a quarterly basis at the juvenile facility in McKinney. Students will also receive culinary and food safety lessons from professional chefs, and earn a Food Handler or Food Manager Certification to help them secure employment with a restaurant or food establishment.
Dr. Jazminda Ryan joined Youth With Faces in January as Director of Programs to establish programs in Collin County and oversee Youth With Faces’s continued growth. She holds more than 10 years of experience directing and managing large-scale programs, including those that connect opportunity youth and justice-impacted youth to consistently positive experiences and role models. Dr. Ryan recently completed her doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership and holds a Master of Public Administration degree, both from Grand Canyon University. She has completed training in social-emotional learning and diversity, equity and inclusion, and applies this training to all program curricula.
“Youth with Faces has established itself as a service-provider leader in working with at-risk and delinquent youth, with an extensive track record of proven outcomes,” Hadnot added. “Their broad array of transferrable support services has already fostered tangible improvement for youth accountability due to both personal and group desire to participate in the programming. The impact of this program will go well beyond their involvement in the juvenile justice system.”
Youth With Faces extends its gratitude to the board members who worked to solidify the partnership and supporters like Communities Foundation of Texas, Trigger’s Toys and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas for giving the agency a strong foundation to expand. Youth With Faces is building a network of Collin County-based employers and volunteers to support justice-involved youth on their journey to success. To get involved or learn more, email the agency at info@youthwithfaces.org or call 214.926.5344.