Opportunity with Education Juvenile Intervention Program
Published: 01/22/2020
OPPORTUNITY WITH EDUCATION JUVENILE INTERVENTION PROGRAM
The Riverside Police Department's Community Service Bureau is currently accepting applications for our juvenile intervention and prevention program, Opportunity with Education. Our next session will begin on Saturday, February 15, 2020, and run for 12 Saturdays through May 9, 2020. O.W.E. was created to provide education and mentoring to our youth through positive interactions with police officers, educators, prosecutors, and other professionals, rather than the influences from the culture of criminal elements. This is NOT a boot camp or “scared straight” type program, but one designed to positively redirect “at-risk” youth between the ages of 12 to 17 (middle & high school age only) through topic lectures, tours, physical fitness, community service, and close order drill. Choices and consequences are stressed throughout the program, and the opportunity to build self-esteem, leadership qualities, and change to positive social behaviors will be available to all participants, which will aid in breaking the cycle of criminal behavior while encouraging them toward success.
The goal of O.W.E. is to help parents and their children bring a sense of “family” back to their homes. The parent(s) & legal guardian(s) of program participants must fully support O.W.E. and the staff for their child to be enrolled, and are required to attend the morning session of each class for group counseling and topic lectures. O.W.E. is held at California Baptist University from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for most Saturdays for 12 consecutive weeks. The O.W.E. program takes place twice a year from September to December and February to May, with applications accepted throughout the year, and is FREE to participating families and you do not need to be a resident of Riverside to apply.
Online registration is required to be considered for the O.W.E. program. Please complete and submit an online application by Wednesday, February 5, 2020. To apply, go to www.rpdonline.org/owe.
