Decatur Co. Juvenile Probation officers provide life skills to teens

Teens attend different classes each week

(GREENSBURG, Ind.) – Teenagers who are considered at-risk are getting an opportunity to further develop their skills in Decatur County this summer. 

Juvenile Probation Officers Jeramiah McAdams and Gracie Maxwell-Shonk are conducting a program that provides youth with different experiences in the community. 

The seven-week program is called Lifecraft and the goal is for at-risk youth to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by working with people outside of their peer group.

On Thursday, the teens attended a cooking class at Bread Of Life in Greensburg. 

Some other classes include financial literacy, yoga, a horse ranch, an Army recruiter and a tour of Honda. 

The probation department created the program as a way to provide opportunities for kids during the summer months while also helping them obtain life skills

“Most of the kids involved in this program are kids we’ve ran into, or someone in the community has ran into, and they need something to get involved with in the summer,” McAdams said. 

This is a free program where Decatur County Court Services also provides transportation. 

“This program is designed to create confidence and a sense of pride in one’s abilities. Through achieving competency in the skills learned, Lifecraft aims to prevent substance abuse, violence, and other health risk behaviors,” McAdams added.