Creative Corner

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

Creative Corner celebrates the writings of Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court (JDRDC) involved youth. Writing can be a powerful outlet for juveniles who are struggling to share their imaginations, hopes, and fears in a behaviorally productive way. The creative Corner project is designed to encourage them and to give them hope. Each year the project culminates in a ceremony and celebration. This positive recognition succeeds on a multitude of levels: it is an opportunity for parents of troubled youth to feel good about their children, a chance for the youth to experience a measure of success, and an avenue for parents, teachers, and counselors to gain insight into what the teens are going through. The Creative Corner project draws its writers from the classrooms of Fairfax County Public School’s alternative schools. Many of the writings are the result of class assignments. Creative Corner is a regular feature in JDRDC’s biweekly newsletter, “Full Court Press,” and over the years the works of more than 150 teens have been published. Each year’s Creative Corner writings are published in “Sparks of Imagination,” a booklet that is presented to the young writers during the Creative Corner celebration.