This June, 15 teachers, counselors, and staff working in seven different juvenile facilities in Utah were trained and certified to teach Roots of Success. Youth who go through the Roots of Success program in these facilities will receive a Certificate and preparation for environmental and STEM jobs and career pathways in the water, waste, transportation, energy, building, food, health and agriculture sectors.

In addition to these 15 individuals, staff from the State Board of Education and the University of Utah were also certified. Among the 17 instructors trained were two youth, both age 17 serving time in two different facilities; both will have an opportunity to teach Roots of Success to their peers starting in fall 2017.

The facilities represented were: Decker Lake Youth Center, Mill Creek Youth Center, Wasatch Youth Center, Slate Canyon, Farmington Bay Youth Center, and a community-based day program for youth. These instructors will be teaching Roots of Success to young men and women in both secure and community-based settings, in science and language arts classes, in transition focused programs, among other settings. In addition to providing youth with Roots of Success classes, youth will have access to scientists who deliver guest lecturers focused on a range of environmental issues to incarcerated youth.