CART Academy Returns to Serve Local Families

The Colton Police Department has announced that the Colton at Risk Teens (CART) Academy will once again begin next month. Running this year from September to December, the CART Academy is a collaborative partnership of school districts, the Colton Police Department, courts, probation, district attorney's office, public defender and faith-based organizations. Created by the Colton Police Department in 2001, it teaches a curriculum with the goal of insuring a recruit's graduation from high school and make sure they can make better choices in life with CART Academy staff being added mentors in their lives, according to a release issued by the police department. CART also aims to help parents by introducing a small component of the Parent Project while the student is in the academy. CART will serve families in Colton, all students within the Colton Joint Unified School District, as well as the City of San Bernardino and San Bernardino City Unified School District. The Academy includes 160 hours of classroom instruction, drill instruction and a marching component, as well as a physical training component. The Academy will be held Wednesday nights from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. beginning Sept. 16 and running through Dec. 10 at Summit College, 851 Cooley Drive in Colton. Parents will also be required to attend a modified Parent Project class while their son or daughter is attending the program. The program will be structured as para-military. The CART Academy staff will all be JIIC Certified (Juvenile Intervention Instructors Course), a POST program that certifies peace officers on liability, identifying traits as well as students that the CART Academy program may not be suitable for. House and School Checks are included in the program. Confirmed CART Academy Class Curriculum includes: Academy orientation; Ethics and How it Relates to You; the Importance of Hygiene; Domestic Violence; Job Preparation and Resume Preparation; Drugs and Alcohol; Peer Pressure; Seven Pillars of Character Counts; STDs - If You Share, Do You Care?; Cultural Diversity; Health and Fitness; Gangs and Dangers of the Gang Lifestyle; Introduction to the Criminal Justice System; Behavior Needs and Beliefs; Vandalism, Crimes and Punishments; First Aid and CPR Certification; How to Stop Bullying; Mannerisms, Being a Role Model. Academy exercises and joint projects include mock job interviews; a class PT and pride run; a class Punchbowl hike with other youth programs; CART Academy house checks; a Museum of Tolerance field trip; and a volunteer exercise community project. Uniform Shirts, notebooks and books and field trips will be provided to participants. Waivers are needed to be signed by parents and students jointly along with waivers for each field trip. However, transportation, black pants, black shoes and white T-shirts will not be provided. In the event of a hardship, Colton Police Department has items that can be arranged for students and parents so the cadet can still participate in the program. A sack lunch is needed every Saturday, as well as bottled water. Parents must provide lunch and transportation to and from the academy. Those who are low-level first-time offenders, truants, or those who have been involved with vandalism, fighting or disturbances on campus or with school administrative issues may participate in the CART Academy program. Parents may fill out and drop off an application to CART staff for screening and approval. Applications may be mailed to you. Because it is supported by sponsors, the CART Academy is free to all Colton and San Bernardino families. Please call 909-370-5160 for more information.