The Junior League of Collin County (JLCC) received international commendation this year for JuMP (Juvenile Mentoring Program). Innovation by individual Junior Leagues was recognized at the 94th Annual Conference of The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) through the presentation of Junior League Awards in areas ranging from community impact to fundraising to leadership development. The event brought together women from among 291 Junior Leagues in four countries.
AJLI President Ellen Rose, a member of the Junior League of the City of New York, said, “The depth of innovation contained in the work by these 12 Junior Leagues demonstrates the creative power of women as volunteers committed to creating lasting community impact. It’s also noteworthy that these awards were made in the 115th-anniversary year of the founding of The Junior League. The powerful example of our founder, Mary Harriman, lives on in the work that these and all of our Leagues do every day.”
The JuMP program is a serious attempt to deal with a problem with far-reaching impact on young offenders, their families and their communities. Working with the Collin County Juvenile Probation Services, JLCC volunteers serve as mentors for 12-to-15-year-old kids on probation for the first time for non-violent, misdemeanor offenses using a unique curriculum grounded in teen-focused topics like self-esteem, appropriate internet use, healthy relationships, and life-skills training.
“The JLCC is incredibly honored to have been awarded the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Community Impact Award for our work on JuMP. We started this work over three years ago with the Collin County Juvenile Probation Services with the goal to not only reduce recidivism rates among young adults, but to also provide a positive, goal-focused program for youth that may not have the opportunity to attend such training. JuMP gives us an opportunity to have a real and tangible impact on our community,” states Jennifer Tinsman, JLCC President 2015-2016.
Additional Junior Leagues recognized include for innovative programs:
- Junior League of Phoenix
- Junior League of Houston
- Junior League of Quad Cities
- Junior League of London
- Junior League of New Orleans
- Junior League of DeKalb County
- Junior League of San Angelo
- Junior League of Midland
- Junior League of Cincinnati
- Junior League of Los Angeles
In addition, long-time Junior League of Toronto member Martha “Martie” Strayer Russel received the 2016 Mary Harriman Award for Community Leadership, The Junior League’s most prestigious member award, and the Junior League of the City of New York’s DeNora Getachew and the Junior League of Phoenix’s Jessica Eldridge received Rising Star Awards, which recognize and celebrate emerging leaders from within the 291 Junior Leagues.
Junior League of Collin County
The Junior League of Collin County is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Collin County began in May 1976, as the Plano Service League, and was admitted to the Association of Junior Leagues International in February of 1984, becoming the 255th League to join. Today, membership includes over 900 women from cities in Collin County, including Plano, Allen, Frisco and McKinney who value Service, Respect, and Leadership.
For more information about the Junior League of Collin County, visit jlcollincounty.org.
