Department of Youth Services Programs

The Hampshire Educational Collaborative provides professional development throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to all teachers serving students incarcerated in residential facilities under its Division of Youth Services (DYS). HEC is also responsible for hiring and supervising approximately half of the DYS teachers.

In addition, HEC administers a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to provide a three-year program of professional development for teachers working in DYS residential facilities, focusing on the integration of arts into the core curriculum. Professional artist-educators who have experience training teachers are working with DYS staff through the Unlocking the Light program to integrate visual arts, media arts, music, and drama into the teaching of English language arts, social studies, math, and science.

For a myriad of reasons--often poverty, neglect, abuse, poor schools, hopelessness, and exposure to violence--thousands of young people throughout the Commonwealth are failing at school and getting into legal trouble. Each year, 18,000 - 20,000 juveniles are arraigned in court. Of those youth, 5,500 annually are held on bail at DYS facilities awaiting court action. They are detained on average for 15 days, but in some cases, for as long as 18 months. In 2005, 1,211 youth (or 8 percent of total juveniles arraigned in Massachusetts) were committed to DYS. On any given day, the DYS system has custody of about 1,500 young people in its 58 facilities in 25 locations across the state. Most are between the ages of 14 and 17.

The challenges inherent to educating transient, displaced, and incarcerated youth are many. Most of these students are from high-risk, high-poverty, and high-truancy backgrounds. They are functioning two to three grade levels below their peers; more than 45% require special education services; and most have a history of family dysfunction. They come from cities and towns throughout the state, and may be in a classroom for one day or for many years. When they have completed their sentence, they may participate in a transition program to re-enter their home community.

If you would like to apply for an educational staff position serving students who are committed to the Department of Youth Services, please refer to HEC's DYS Job Listings.

For more information, please contact:

Woody Clift
Director of DYS Programs
413-586-49000
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