Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice

The executive leadership team of a youth justice agency plays a critical role in shaping the organization’s vision, goals and operations. When members of this team work together thoughtfully, effectively, and collaboratively, they can collectively position the agency to achieve positive outcomes for youth, families, staff, and communities. By investing in transformational leadership development, youth justice agencies can empower their executive teams to create supportive and inclusive organizational cultures that engage staff at all levels. Unfortunately, few training opportunities exist for youth justice executive teams that specifically address the unique complexities of leading youth-serving organizations. Without intentional, targeted leadership development strategies, youth justice agencies may struggle to adapt to the changing needs of the communities they serve, limiting their potential for success. 

In response to these challenges, JusticePath Advisors, in partnerships with the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators (CJJA), is offering Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice. This new initiative is specifically created to equip executive leadership teams in youth justice agencies with the knowledge, skills, and network necessary to foster supportive organizational cultures and improve system effectiveness. Through intensive training, personalized coaching, and peer learning, participants will build their strategic leadership capabilities and learn to lead with vision and purpose in an evolving system.

Program Highlights

Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice is a six-month program that offers youth justice executive teams a structured opportunity to enhance their knowledge and leadership skills specific to their responsibilities. Over the course of three phases–virtual assessment and planning, in-person kick-off summit at Georgetown University, and ongoing monthly coaching calls and site visits–participants will develop collaborative strategies to lead with vision, create a supportive organizational culture, and drive systemic change. The program also includes dedicated time for executive team members from the same jurisdiction to build stronger relationships with another, deepen their understanding of one another’s roles, and improve their ability to work cohesively as a team. In addition, the program provides a unique platform for participants to network with leaders from other jurisdictions, fostering a supportive community of peers who can share insights, challenges, and innovative practices. This combination of internal team development and cross-jurisdiction networking will help strengthen each agency’s leadership capacity and provide ongoing support throughout the transformation process.

Application Guidelines

The full Application Packet for the Brighter Futures: Transformational Leadership in Youth Justice program will be released in early January, 2025. Please check this space, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter, where we will announce when applications are being accepted! In the meantime, we encourage interested leadership teams to begin discussing team composition, goals and capabilities to drive meaningful change, and articulating current challenges they face.