County Breakout Group
Youth Employment
The County Breakout Group has tackled the issue of Youth Employment. Cumberland County’s youth have an employment rate of 39.6%, compared to the state average at 26.3%. As such, CCPYDC has helped institute the C5 Curriculum in Cumberland County.
Gun Safety and Violence Awareness
The County Breakout Group continued its work on the Gun Safety and Violence Awareness campaign. Thanks to the Group’s collaborative work with state representatives, June has been declared as Gun Safety and Violence Awareness Month statewide. In addition, Members have expanded the sites at which the Gun Safety Education is administered, and designing supplemental activities in order to further engage students.
PAL Initiative
The County Breakout Group has collaborated with the Police Athletic Leagues in Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland by providing assistance with Volunteer Recruitment efforts and Life Skills programs for their Youth members.
Bridgeton Breakout Group
Youth Court
The Bridgeton Breakout Group has collaborated with Harcum College and the Bridgeton School District to establish a Youth Court at Bridgeton High School. Youth Court is a student-run, non-binding alternative not only to the regular juvenile court, but also the school disciplinary process for youth who have committed low-level, general misconduct offenses at school.
Play Streets
Play Streets is a program in which a residential street in an urban area is closed to cars and open to children residing in the city so they can play safely in their community. Through the summer, the Bridgeton Breakout Group focused its effort on ensuring a safe place for youth to play each week. Play Streets was held every Wednesday from July 18 to August 15 from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Riverfront Park in Bridgeton. Themes for this year included Bridgestock (Police Athletic League) and Back-to-School Bash (Family Success Center).
Gang Prevention
The Bridgeton Breakout Group has worked with the Juvenile Justice Commission to incorporate the Phoenix Gang Prevention Curriculum into Bridgeton High School. Additionally, they have successfully taught Steered Straight’s Truth About Gang Curriculum after-school to a select group of 25 at-risk students at Bridgeton High School.
Barbershop Books
The Group has tackled the issue of childhood literacy by working with local barbers to create a Barbershop Books program in the city. Barbershop Books is a community-based program that creates child-friendly reading spaces in barbershops and provides early literacy training to barbers.
Summer Feeding Program
The success of 2017’s Summer Feeding Program has been continued through 2018 by the Bridgeton Breakout Group, who partnered with community organizations in the city to establish new feeding sites, including a mobile one, and hiring Bridgeton youth to promote the program.
Millville Breakout Group
Play Streets
Play Streets is a program in which a residential street in an urban area is closed to cars and open to children residing in the city so they can play safely in their community.
Vineland Breakout Group
Play Streets
The City of Vineland had its first Play Streets in the summer of 2018. Play Streets is a car-free street that provides youth and communities with space for engaging in active play and physical activity benefiting youth, residents, and the community. Play Streets hopes to engage youth from 6 to 14 years of age, but all youth are welcome. Vineland Play streets were scheduled to be held every Friday from June 29th – July 27th at the intersection of Sixth St. & E. Elmer St.
Realities of Technology Campaign
The Vineland Breakout Group partnered with Vineland High School’s Search for Consciousness class to create a PSA explaining the dangers of sexting. The PSA, which is accompanied by a lesson plan created by CCPYDC, is now being shown in middle school classrooms and local youth groups.
Click here to see the PSA video on YouTube.
The Vineland Breakout Group has updated their Social Media Resource Guide to educate parents on commonly used social media applications and texting language.
Click here to see the Finished Social Media Resource Guide.
Lastly, the Vineland Breakout Group has coordinated a competition to promote positive usage of social media and will invite high school classrooms and community youth groups to create Facebook pages that promote positive messages.
Additional Past Accomplishments: