TJJD News & Announcements

Youth all across Texas are gearing up for the 30 th Anniversary Global Youth Service Day event, including hundreds of youth in the Texas juvenile justice system. TJJD was selected as one of 56 Lead Agencies across the country by Youth Service America – and the only juvenile justice organization in the nation – and has convened 34 partners who are planning 89 service-learning projects during the month of April. It’s not too late for you to join us and have your youth group engaged in community service projects. Just contact Tammy.Holland@TJJD.Texas.Gov for more information. #GYSD GYSD is celebrated each year in more than 100 countries, with young people working together – and with schools, youth organizations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, national service programs, government agencies, and  adult mentors – to address the world’s most critical issues and change their communities. Why:  To mobilize the world’s youth to find their voice, ta

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Juvenile Justice Department served as a lead agency in Texas for the twelfth consecutive year and convened a coalition of 23 partners for the 28th Annual Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). Youth Service America hosted the global event, held during April, and it is now the largest service event in the world and celebrated in over 100 countries. During GYSD, children and youth address the world’s most critical issues in partnership with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and governments. Our state-operated facilities were joined by eleven county juvenile probation departments, and seven public school campuses across the state, to implement a total of 72 service-learning projects focusing on issues like kindness/tolerance, poverty, hunger and homelessness, bullying, violence and safety, public health, environment, pollution and beautification, literacy, and human rights. Nearly 1,200 youth logged a total of 5,246 hours of se

DALLAS, Texas – Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is about learning the needs of your community and giving your time and energy to help others. Youth at the Cottrell House and youth on parole in Dallas County decided that they wanted to understand 1) how the homeless population in Dallas is receiving help and 2) what makes cancer so difficult to cure. Youth decided that they wanted to work at two different locations to help the homeless — City Square and at the Bridge, which is the largest homeless shelter in Dallas. They also wanted to visit UT Southwestern Medical Center to learn about cancer. When youth arrived at City Square, they were amazed that there was an actual shopping pantry for homeless people. Youth received a tour of the pantry and were shocked that the pantry had a freezer that held frozen foods which has meats and vegetables for the homeless. Youth met homeless individuals at the entrance, grabbed a shopping cart, and began to help the homeless choose foods off the s