The Center for Improving Youth Justice (CIYJ) is honored to announce Shanteyja from Kansas and Cooper from Alaska as the 2024 recipients of the J. Russell “Russ” Jennings Scholarship and Mentoring Award.
Shanteyja is working toward a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in law. She will be matched with Jaclyn Cirinna, PbS’s first Youth Coordinator.
Cooper is earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration management and will be matched with Stephen Kaplan, our first mentor.
The CIYJ J. Russell “Russ” Jennings Scholarship: Established in honor of Russ Jennings and his extraordinary contribution to the lives of countless young people and colleagues in juvenile justice, the CIYJ Russ Jennings Scholarship and mentorship recognizes both the importance of continued education after high school and the challenges of completing programs over the course of 12-24 months or longer. The scholarship provides a mentor and $15,000 for tuition and other education costs to earn a degree or technical vocational certification.
