Submitted by: Jim Sloan
E-mail: sloanj@unce.unr.edu
State: Nevada
Monday, November 9, 2009
Project Magic
Project Magic gives entry level juvenile offenders and their parents a chance to learn and practice positive communication skills, problem-solving, decision-making, responsibility, conflict resolution and goal setting.
Magic stands for “Making A Group and Individual Commitment,” and has helped more 3,000 Nevada youths in the last 10 years. The program has been adopted in more than 17 other states.
Groups of 10-12 participants, ages 12-18, meet a few times per week for two months for interpersonal discussions and exercises that help them learn many skills, such as how to understand themselves better, to listen better and to cope with stress. The meetings lead to a community service project -- such as a community beautification effort, helping at an after-school program or serving food at a community kitchen – giving participants a heightened sense of self-worth and helping them establish goals and direction.
“A year ago, I probably would have thought, ‘I can’t live my life without marijuana,’ and I probably would have gone down the wrong path,” said Katherine Duffy, a 16-year-old from Lovelock, Nevada. “When I finished Project MAGIC, I was just a changed person – a smile on my face all the time. And it was all thanks to the program.”
Parents of participants also meet for three evening meetings to learn how to positively communicate with their teen; manage anger during conflicts; recognize alcohol and drug abuse; and positively discipline their children.
The program has had tremendous benefits. Only 10 percent of Project Magic’s participants have future encounters with the juvenile justice system (as compared to 30 percent for similar groups who don’t go through the program), saving the state more than $15 million in incarceration costs.
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