Mahoning juvenile court seeks diversion programs

Outstanding applicants must have or form a choir.

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County Juvenile Court is seeking applicants from nonprofit, religious, faith-based, scholastic or charitable organizations in the county willing to create a juvenile diversion program.

Juvenile Judge Theresa Dellick said Thursday that the organizations chosen will receive up to $10,000 from a juvenile court grant to be used for personnel, supplies and program-related activities. The diversion program, designed to keep kids out of the judicial system, will be expected to provide incentives and ideas to help juvenile court and the community prevent juveniles from engaging in delinquent and dangerous behavior that leads to crime.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many grants will be awarded.

Applicant organizations must agree to a criminal background check for their director and staff affiliated with the diversion program.

Applicants must submit a proposal of no more than three to five pages that includes the program budget. The written proposal will account for 80 percent of the criteria upon which the application will be judged.

The judge said organizations whose proposals are outstanding will be required to form a choir or utilize their existing choir of people 21or younger for a performance May 3 at Stambuagh Auditorium. Each choir will sing their own rendition of “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony).” The performance will be reviewed by a panel of judges and their determination will account for 20 percent of the entrants’ total score.

All applicants must send at least one representative to a grant workshop at juvenile court, 300 E. Scott St. The workshops will be held at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Jan. 30 and those hours again Feb. 25.

Call Richard Vendetti at juvenile court at (330) 740-2278 Ext. 6401 to reserve a seat.

Proposals must be submitted to him in person or mailed to 300 E. Scott St., Youngstown 44505 by March 3. Finalists will be notified by mail and final review of choirs will be held the weeks of March 3 and 10. Contact Marva Wesson-Griffin at (330) 740-2278 Ext. 6450 to schedule a date and time.