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.
Dr. Williams is Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Kansas State University, specializing in crime, gender, and place-based research.
Dr. Paul is Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Kansas State University, specializing in restorative justice and conflict management.
Dr. Johannes is Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at Kansas State University, focusing on adolescent health and development, risk reduction, and community-based participatory research.
Dr. Terry is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Fort Hays State University and Policy Fellow for the Docking Institute; she specializes in juvenile justice and gender, and is a licensed master's level psychologist.
Dr. Sun is Assistant Director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs and a professor of political science at Fort Hays State University, specializing in advanced research methods.
Luis Montelongo is research coordinator and survey center manager for the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, specializing in survey design and software programming.
Mari-Esther Edwards is a PhD student in Sociology and Criminology at Kansas State University, specializing in criminology and inequalities.
Lora Kirmer is a Master’s student in Communication Studies at Kansas State University, focusing on automotive technology communication and public engagement.
McKenzie Cox is completing her BS in Human Development and Family Science and will enter the Master’s in Applied Family Science in Fall 2019, pursuing an emphasis in minority father involvement and program development and evaluation.