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SJCOE part of Stockton, an All-America City

YouthBuild San Joaquin students help Stockton earn national recognition

 

When a delegation from Stockton went to Denver to make its case that Stockton deserved the distinction as an All-America City, the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) was there.

YouthBuild San Joaquin students James Vong and Zapata Mejia and program Director Sheilah Goulart were part of the group from Stockton that went to the Denver headquarters of the National Civic League.

That also meant they were part of the 38-member team delivering a 10-minute presentation to judges determining who would win the distinction.

“It was pretty intense,” Goulart said. “Our presentation was all about second chances.”

It corresponded to the National Civic League’s push to encourage cities to help vulnerable boys and young men succeed in school and in life. Stockton’s application focused on the Positive Youth Justice Initiative and the work being done by Stockton government, the San Joaquin County Probation Department and the Fathers and Families nonprofit organization.

Through YouthBuild San Joaquin and other programs, SJCOE has been part of the initiative and strong partners with the organizations involved. And that came through in the presentation delivered in Denver.

It was a 10-minute long poem, with different members of the delegation reciting different lines. It laid out the problems facing the city, then highlighted what was being done to help Stockton’s residents overcome those problems.

Goulart’s lines focused on the solution.

They were:

Positive Youth Justice Initiative exists/

Probation and youth build a new unity/

Working together to combat negativity/

Transforming lives--turning obstacles into opportunity/

Through leadership, hard work, and service to the community.

 

Stockton’s designation as an All-America City was covered in The Record newspaper and by CBS13 and KCRA.

Posted: 6/17/2015