Over 40 judges from all over the State of Illinois will attend a training to present 4 different programs geared to school children from the age of kindergarten through high school on January 26th in Chicago.
The In-School Programs committee, chaired by 1st District Appellate Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke, facilitates getting judges into schools to present IJA In-School Programs. In each program, a judge will come to the school, present the program, and answer any questions the students may have.
* Page It Forward, for the youngest students, a judge reads the book ABE LINCOLN’S HAT to K-4th grade classrooms. This program has succeeded in garnering an interest not only in Abe Lincoln but also in the law and the judiciary.
* Worries of the World Wide Web- For middle schoolers, this program was created to address the increasing problems of cyber bullying, electronic harassment and sexting/pornography.
* Courtroom in the Classroom is targeted to juniors and seniors in high school. The program, through the use of power point, videos, skits and discussion, guides students through a discussion of what are the 4th Amendment rights of high school students in a school setting.
* 7 Reasons to Leave the Party, is designed to inform middle school and high school students the legal and social ramifications of underage drinking, drug usage and underage sex.
“This is one way that judges can make a positive impact outside the courtroom in the community that we serve,” says Program Chair, Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke. If you would like to attend this training session, contact Kathy Hosty at [email protected] or 312-431-1283. Or if you have any questions about the programs, contact Justice Burke at (312)793-5418.