Community Outreach and Engagement

CfJJ’s community outreach and engagement centers and elevates the voices of youth, parent organizers, community-based and grassroots organizations in policy on the municipal and statewide level. We approach community engagement with a spirit of partnership, utilizing our expertise at research, training, and advocacy to act as equal partners with those seeking to create change. We provide information sessions and trainings on state/federal laws, legal rights, pending legislation, and policies of state child serving agencies.

Our approach is “customized to the needs of each group, meeting their needs in the way they want them met, and with the underlying mission of building trust and long-term, sustainable partnerships.”[1] Our goal is to assist and support local action movements to advocate and improve policy that impacts youth, and creates pathways for organizers to become more involved with policy campaigns, statewide legislation, and our coalition efforts, including participation in the Massachusetts Coalition for Juvenile Justice Reform.

[1] Tips for Competently Engaging Culturally Diverse Communities