| |
Shay Bilchik Named Chair of the National Collaboration for Youth and Recipient of National Juvenile Justice Award
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
March 17, 2003, Washington, D.C. -- Shay Bilchik was named chair of the National Collaboration for Youth at its annual meeting held on March 13, 2003 in Washington D.C.
Mr. Bilchik is President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) and previously headed the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). At OJJDP, Mr. Bilchik focused on developing policies and a range of programs that supported efforts to enhance prevention and early intervention strategies to put high-risk and vulnerable youth on the right track.
"I am delighted to assume this position during this challenging period in our nation's efforts to ensure that young people grow up to be successful adults," said Mr. Bilchik.
"At a time when the country is experiencing economic difficulties and security threats from outside its borders," Bilchik maintained that "it is incumbent on all Americans and the organizations serving our youth to stay focused on their needs. There can be no more important time for us to insure that through local, state and federal partnerships, across the public and private sectors, we provide the support for youth development that comes to life in our communities. We must insist that the future of our young people is a national priority and that we maintain and build greater support for after school, mentoring, and job training and placement programs, as well as targeted delinquency prevention efforts."
Stewart Smith, President and CEO of Campfire USA and former chair of the Collaboration said "We are excited that Shay has accepted this position especially as the White House is considering government's role in fostering positive youth development through their Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth. He has demonstrated vision and leadership for America's children, youth, and families at the League and the Collaboration will benefit greatly from his direction."
Mr. Bilchik was also honored by the National Juvenile Court Services Association (NJCSA), an affiliate of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, at its conference in Philadelphia on Monday, March 17. He received an award for Outstanding Achievement for his leadership and vision in the field of juvenile justice. Nominated by the board of the National Council of Juvenile Court Services Association, Mr. Bilchik was unanimously selected as the first recipient of this new award.
Alvin Cohn, incoming president of the NJCSA commented that "the board and members continue to be appreciative of the work that Shay has done to provide leadership and advocacy in the field of juvenile justice. His work continues to drive the field forward to a greater understanding and use of multi-systems and community-based efforts on behalf of our children, youth and families. This award is richly deserved."
The Outstanding Achievement award is to be presented at such time as warranted to an individual or organization for outstanding contributions to the juvenile justice system for a lifetime of work in the field of academics or research; for a single event, program, or project that significantly increased applied knowledge or programs in the field; or for outstanding contributions to community based understanding of the juvenile justice system.
National Collaboration for Youth
Mr. Bilchik will serve a two year term as chair of the Collaboration, which is made up of the leading national nonprofit networks of youth-serving and youth-interested organizations.
The Collaboration leads the effort to pass the Younger Americans Act. This legislation would provide up to $2 billion per year to communities for youth development activities. The Collaboration has developed a National Youth Development Agenda and the National Youth Development Information Center. For more information on these efforts, check on-line at www.nydic.org. Recent publications of the Collaboration include research on the realities of collaborations in 21st Century Community Learning Centers--"Dimensions of School Community Collaboration: What It Takes to Make Collaboration Work."
National Juvenile Court Services Association
The National Juvenile Court Services Association is a membership organization for court personnel, serving those who work with and support the nation's juvenile and family courts. NJCSA offers the opportunity to improve skills within the juvenile justice system through training, education and technical assistance. All organizational functions are directed toward administrators, managers and professionals in the juvenile justice field.
NJCSA is dedicated to improving the juvenile justice system. The group's purpose is to train and educate personnel, plan and coordinate educational programs, raise the level of professional competency in the juvenile justice system, increase community understanding, and offer technical assistance to juvenile and family courts on a broad spectrum of juvenile justice issues.
Child Welfare League of America
Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the more than three million abused, neglected, and vulnerable children served by its 1200 public and private member agencies. To further its mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting the well-being of all children and families, CWLA conducts research; develops standards of best practice; hosts regional and national conferences; provides comprehensive, field-based consultation and professional development services; and is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in North America.
 Back to Top  Printer-friendly Page  Contact Us
|
|
