Dayton Mediation Center seeks volunteers to help with youth

DAYTON, Ohio — The Dayton Mediation Center is looking for volunteers aiming to make an impact within their Juvenile Court Diversion Program. 

Volunteers will be asked to share wisdom, life experience, care and their time with young people in special circumstances as members of Community Impact Panels, which are part of the Juvenile Court Diversion Program for children between 11 and 17-years-old. 

Through the panels, conversations are held between a young person, their parents/guardians and the community volunteers. Members of the panel will discuss what led to the youth’s interaction with the police and how the community is affected. 

“Volunteers don’t blame, shame, or judge the teen’s choices and may talk about similar choices they have made,” the center said in a news release. “The young person may see what was in their control, and what was not, with a hope of making better choices in the future.”

Following the panel, the case is closed and sealed, and the young person will not have a mark on their record. Volunteers are needed on one Saturday morning per month. 

To submit an application to be a volunteer, click here.