Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Programs Street College topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Street College tells Champaign County it needs help to sustain juvenile detention programming; three months of funding remain
Summary
Street College presented to the Champaign County Board about weekly programming inside the juvenile detention center, said it costs $8,600 per month and has funding for about three more months, and asked the board to help identify funding sources; board members and staff discussed possible grants and budget options.
Jay Walker, representing Urbana-based nonprofit Street College, told the Champaign County Board Committee of the Whole that the organization provides in‑facility programming at the county juvenile detention center and needs help securing funding to continue services.
Street College provides three signature courses — an entry-level music production class, a podcasting/audio storytelling class, and a civics/dialogue course — delivered two times per week in two- to three-hour sessions. Walker said five to six instructors engage detained youth and that the program’s reconnection model continues work with participants after they return to the community.
The program’s cost is $8,600 per month and, according to the presentation, the program has about three months of funding remaining. Board members and staff praised the program’s in‑custody and post-release impact, noting that the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) inspectors observed the sessions and said Champaign County’s juvenile detention center was the only facility in the state offering this type of programming.
Funding and next steps: Walker said Street College’s current funding comes primarily from an Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) grant and that some previous funding from the cities of Champaign and Urbana (federal pass-through) has ceased. Board members suggested potential sources, including the Urbana Community Service Grant Program, and county staff offered to have the county grant coordinator consult with Street College about other opportunities. County staff said the budget process could also be a venue to explore county support; no board appropriation was made during the meeting.
Quotes and local reaction: Jay Walker described the program’s classroom work and reentry model for students. Laurie Gold Patterson, identified as the lifetime partner of the program’s late founder William (Doc) Patterson, explained the program’s origins and said, “We are primarily currently funded through the Illinois Department of Human Services.” Several board members and juvenile-detention staff praised the program’s effects on behavior and engagement.
Ending: Board members asked staff to follow up on grant conversations and to include the program in future budget discussions; Street College said it would continue pursuing grants and other funding avenues.
