Sankofa's Leadership Navigation Project

The Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program (Byrne Discretionary Program) helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 08 Congressional Budget. Funds should be used for purposes recommended by Congress.

The Sankofa Safe Child Initiative will develop a local governance structure to bring systems and community stakeholders together to implement and operate an integrated continuum of community-based systems for youth in the North Lawndale community of Chicago. They will work to reduce the numbers of youth in the juvenile system and improve their lives. They will collaborate with other local government and community agencies to develop a Leadership Navigation Resource Directory that can be accessed by parents, community residents, and community based organizations to ensure programming and wrap around services on behalf of juveniles, their families, and the community. The Directory will include information and resources like: educational achievement, job readiness and placement, parenting classes, expungement workshops, health awareness campaigns, physical and mental health services, mentoring programs, tutoring services, life skills trainings, affordable housing, family counseling, substance abuse counseling, and conflict resolution workshops. Additionally, the Sankofa Safe Child Initiative will work with youth and their families to assist with expunging juvenile records.

NCA/NCF