YSB – Patriot Prep Camp

Jay County Fair 2023 - Patriot Prep Camp

PATRIOT PREP CAMP

On July 11, the Youth Service Bureau was able to set up a table at the fairgrounds during Kids Day for Patriot Prep Camp! At this table, we provided laminated activity binders for preschoolers going into kindergarten to take home and prepare them for kindergarten. These binders included the alphabet, skills with counting to 20, rhyming sheets, color matching, and so much more! We were able to distribute 75 binders to the Jay County community! We also provided children books and different type of flashcards, and Play-Doh that children were able to do an activity with at the table and then take home the Play-Doh home.

We’re so happy to hear great responses from those who participated in the program!

"I just wanted to say thanks to you and your organizations!!! My daughter absolutely loved her flash cards and took them to the sitter’s this morning with her (we have other sets at home but this was HER new special set). The laminated activities in the binder, play-doh and BOOK was all so Very nice!! We LOVE to read!! We read that while at the fair and she was playing with the play-doh during the magic show."
Tracy Carpenter
First Bank of Berne

The YSB thanks the United Way of Jay County and the Portland Rotary Club for their generous support of the Patriot Prep Camp program!

Pinwheel Ride Against Child Abuse

The Youth Service Bureau set up a table at the Pinwheel Ride Against Child Abuse on April 15th. This event was an amazing opportunity for youth of all ages to come uptown and enjoy outside activities on a beautiful Saturday. Our table was able to provide adults in the community with an opportunity to learn about the services that the Youth Service Bureau is able to offer while youth decorated the sidewalks to bring awareness of child abuse!

Thank you for a fun Halloween!

YSB Halloween 2022, Trunk or Treat events
The YSB assisted with two festivities over Halloween weekend!
 
On October 29th the YSB, with the help of PJ Corwin and his family, participated in the Randolph County Trunk or Treat. Proceeds of the Trunk or Treat went to help support Prevent Child Abuse Randolph County. PJ and his helpers were dressed as DC heroes and villains for this event! During the event 176 children visited our area and received candy!
 
On October 31st the YSB, with the help of Elyse Bost, participated in the Portland Merchants Trick or Treat. During this event Elyse passed out candy and Safe Place information to 436 youth!
 
Thank you to everyone who attended and made these events possible!

K. A. R. S. S. Program

K.A.R.S.S. Program (Keeping At-Risk Students in School)

K. A. R. S. S.

Keeping At-Risk Students in School

My name is Elyse Bost and I am the new K.A.R.S.S. and Safe Place Coordinator at the YSB in Jay County! I love the K.A.R.S.S. program! The ability to take students to connect to the community is so important, along with showing them all they can give back with just a little bit of their time. One of my plans for the program is to get students connected with members in the community to allow room for all different kinds of opportunity. The most important thing for me to accomplish in this program is students graduating and having an idea of what they would like to accomplish after high school! It can be intimidating to graduate and not know all of the different options available to you. I just want to help them find where they want to go and give them the tools to get there!

The program is offered to Jay County students who are suspended, recommended for expulsion, and those at-risk of not graduating or being suspended/expelled.  Each element of the KARSS Program provides the student an opportunity to evaluate their choices which facilitated the referral, improve school performance, and to become more connected with family, community, and self. Specific processes will vary for each student based on individualized case plans and needs, but each will encourage positive behavior change and build feelings of competency, usefulness, belonging, and empowerment, all critical elements to preventing juvenile delinquency.

  • Referrals can be made by anyone, but must be approved by the Jay School Corp.
  • The program serves students in grades 7-12.
  • Work with clients is mostly one to one, or one to two.
  • Services provided to participants
  • Assistance in completing any missing assignments
  • Maintenance of incoming assignments
  • Assistance/tutoring in problem subjects as needed
  • Development of positive behavior change through the use of evidence-based life skills worksheets and follow-up discussion
  • Encouragement of skill building associated with problem solving, conflict resolution, personal responsibility, and self esteem
  • Assistance with identifying areas of interest to involve the student in community service that would provide instruction and experience in that area
  • Support with transitioning the student back into the regular school day
  • Supervision of student compliance to the personalized case plan

Contact/Referral InformationElyse Bost      Telephone: 260-726-8520    Email: elyse.bost@ysbjc.com

K. A. R. S. S.

The Keeping At-Risk Students in School program works with youth that are suspended or expelled from school, or who
need extra support and guidance that are at-risk. These students participate in community service at locations around
Jay County, at places like the Jay County Humane Society, Jay County Retirement Center, Arts Place, United Way, Jay
County Antique Mall, local churches and libraries. Youth in this program also benefit from tutoring help, behavior
management and drug prevention education.


Since the beginning of the program, the KARSS program has worked with 1,039 youth and have completed over 10,430
hours of community service. The KARSS program is currently working with 18 youth and has been focusing on
completing schoolwork, walking dogs at the humane society, and helping with the bi-weekly food harvest food drive