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Empowering Education rebrand highlighted; JJAB briefed on grants and federal Title II timing
Summary
At its Oct. 10 meeting, the Juvenile Justice Advisory Board heard that Life Literacy has rebranded as Empowering Education and was told the program served about 200 students and an estimate of $17 million in taxpayer savings; the board also received updates on FFY22 subawards and federal Title II timing amid a pending NOFO.
The Juvenile Justice Advisory Board (JJAB) met Oct. 10 in Louisville and reviewed a rebrand and program update for Empowering Education (formerly Life Literacy), which the materials presented to the board said has served roughly 200 students over three years and 80 students in the most recent grant cycle.
Board materials described Empowering Education as a holistic financial-literacy and life-skills curriculum that integrates career readiness and mental-health awareness. The program is structured around small cohorts (up to 20 students) and eight-week online courses aimed at emphasizing future goals rather than past mistakes. Materials said a partnership with Trace of Hope supported $8,000 in grants distributed to eight Kentucky students and additional supports including college application-fee assistance and connections to mental-health resources.
Meeting documents estimated that diverting about 200 students from incarceration produced roughly $17 million in taxpayer savings; that figure is presented in the board materials as an estimate rather than a separately published audit.
On funding processes, JJAB staff reported the Justice Cabinet approved recommended FFY22 subawards, with award letters scheduled to go out the week following the meeting and a training for awardees set for Oct. 27, led by Carly Gill. Staff also updated the board on the federal Title II Formula Grant: state staff said the 2025 NOFO remained pending because of a federal government shutdown delaying publication; they reported that FFY21 funds had an extension, FFY22 awards were finalized and would be retroactive to Oct. 1, 2025 for reimbursement purposes, and that FFY23 and FFY24 funds were still awaiting release.
Next steps: Linda Thomason will send updated detention-violation and compliance data to JJAB members before the next meeting, and JJAB staff will proceed with FFY22 award notifications and the planned training for subawardees.
