Special Counsel for Enhancing Juvenile Indigent Defense

In collaboration with the Center for Children and Youth Justice and the MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change initiative in Washington State, TeamChild is working to assist in statewide efforts to enhance juvenile defense in Washington State. Read about these efforts or contact George Yeannakis, Special Counsel at TeamChild, for more information.

George Yeannakis, Special Counsel
(206) 322-2444 x.107
george.yeannakis@teamchild.org

Defending Youth in Truancy Proceedings:
A Practice Manual for Attorneys

TeamChild and the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Foundation released a manual in 2008 that provides information on truancy and education law in Washington State. Download the manual free of charge.

Youth Law and Policy Internship

Over the past two summers, TeamChild has recruited a team of law school students and hired local youth to work on an advocacy plan that focuses on the relationship between school discipline practices, drop outs and juvenile justice involvement.

The interns led roundtable discussions with legislators, school district representatives and judges to hear multiple perspectives on this issue, which impacts many of TeamChild's clients. In 2008, the youth produced a short movie about the many factors contributing to this phenomenon while the law student interns developed a toolkit and website to share their research on this very complex policy issue.

In 2009, the interns focused their summer work on advocating for policy change in regards to the provision of educational services to students during periods of disciplinary exclusion. The law students wrote a policy paper and went through the exercise of drafting legislation to tackle this issue. The youth interns produced a short movie incorporating educator and student perspectives.

Yakima Youth Voice Art Project

TeamChild strives to give young people a voice. In 2000, TeamChild partnered with the Yakima YMCA, the Washington State Arts Commission and the Seattle Children's Museum to engage Yakima youth in dialogue about violence in their community.

Youth participating in the project found a safe forum to discuss the sources, reasons and solutions to violence in their communities and in schools. Participants turned their ideas into art that was exhibited at the state Capitol and the Yakima Public Schools District Offices.