Our Town Our Kids is a two-year pilot project that combines expertise from K-State and Fort Hays State University with interested citizens in selected Kansas communities. The university group is K-State Juvenile Justice Collaborative (K-State JJC), a multidisciplinary team from Kansas State University, Fort Hays State University, and K-State Extension.  The team covers a wide range of specialization including sociology, criminology, communication, trauma, adolescence, and research methods.

K-State JJC received an award from Kansas Department of Corrections, Kansas Advisory Group, and the Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to reduce system involvement and enhance community collaboration concerning juvenile justice. 

Funding originates from Title II grants awarded by OJJDP, a federal office legislated to support delinquency prevention and reduction, and system improvement. During the award period, partnerships between the University and local stakeholders will develop a knowledge base concerning issues related to juvenile justice, including a developmental approach to youth concerns, trauma-informed care, disproportionate minority contact, and best practices in working with specialized groups such as LGBTQI youth.