Two years ago, CISNT collaborated with the Denton County Juvenile Probation Department to create a new dropout prevention program that would serve Lewisville ISD students in the Denton County Juvenile Justice system.  We named the program TARMAC (Take Action Reintegrate and Make A Change).  Our hope was that we could dramatically reduce the number of youth in the juvenile justice system who reoffend, or commit repeat offenses.  Knowing that 78 to 80 percent of Texas Prison Inmates each year do not have a high school degree, we felt this was a critical area for CISNT to do work in.

After two years, we believed that our results were good.  So did the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission who funded our two year pilot.   The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission have agreed to continue their financial support of the TARMAC program this school year!

I want to say a special thank you to the Denton County Juvenile Probation Department. Their staff have been wonderful to partner with and are a key to TARMAC's success.  Thanks must also go to Lewisville ISD Administration and School Board Trustees for their support of TARMAC.  Finally, to our TARMAC volunteer Mentors and Tutors goes a huge thank you!  Our TARMAC volunteers asked to be placed in a CISNT program that had the most need - frankly, every CISNT program needs more volunteers, but TARMAC needs a special type of volunteer.  TARMAC volunteers are highly dedicated and committed to the vision of TARMAC.

This month TARMAC enters its third year of working with middle school and high school students in the juvenile probation system!  Good luck to our TARMAC volunteers, our outstanding CISNT TARMAC Program Manager, Denny Singh and to the students in TARMAC who have committed to "make a change"!