Through the Michigan State University Adolescent Program, or MSUAP, students can help children under the age of 18 stay out of the criminal justice system.
Sean Hankins, director and field instructor for MSU Adolescent Program, said the group’s slogan is “supporting the vision of our children’s futures.”
“Through an intake process. ... Our program takes kids from the courts who have gotten in trouble ... and helps them realize their ideal selves,” Hankins said.
The MSUAP program cooperates with the courts in Ingham County to find kids who have gotten in trouble with the criminal justice system, but also have dreams and ambitions.
After finding kids who would benefit from the program, Hankins pairs them with MSU students who work with the kids six to eight hours a week for 18 weeks.
“William Davidson, the man who started this program, had a vision,” Hankins said. “Davidson looked at the kids through a lens of success versus a lens of oppression, and that made all of the difference.”
Psychology senior Rebecca Garza is currently involved the MSUAP program. To get into the program, MSU students have to enroll into the PSY 371-372 class.
“Our goal is to work with the youth assigned to us so we can stop them from going through the school to prison pipeline, as we call it,” Garza said. “The school to prison pipeline is a track kids can get into when they get into trouble with the cops for the first time. They can just keep getting in trouble and then end up in prison.”
Garza said new members of the program are given a semester’s worth of training before the they are given the opportunity to work with the youth.
“We learn how to use our strength-based program to help our youths become the best people they can be,” Garza said.
The philosophy of the MSUAP program concentrates on the strengths, talents, goals and expectations of the youth.
MSUAP then uses those traits as a guide to get the youth to where they want to be in life.
Psychology senior Chelsea Williams said this is accomplished by keeping the youth engaged in the community and out of trouble.
“We find things in the community that are positive for the youth to be doing and we spend time doing them together,” Williams said.
Williams said the activities must be in the youth’s area so after the 18 week program is finished, the children can continue participating in the activities.
Hankins said the MSUAP program has been successful in helping the children achieve their goals and stay out of trouble.
Even though this program is rewarding for both the children and the students, it can be hard for the students to understand what the children are going through.
“You have to understand, our youths can come from very different backgrounds than us,” Williams said. “One of my youth’s life could have been a movie, it was so crazy. Compared to them, we are very fortunate.”
Garza said she tries to take her youth to the library and her lectures to show them what her life is like.
“We just give them the best advice we can and try to be the best role models for them,” Garza said.
Though it can be hard for the students, Williams said it is an important responsibility she can’t skip out on.
“It is our responsibility to show up for our kids, because other people in their lives don’t show up for them,” Williams said.
