$1.50 June 14, 2024 | Vol. 3 Iss. 20
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Conference celebrates teachers
Cosplay blood drive
page 9
More than 1,200 educators gather for some R&R
Kaysville diner closes
Page 6
page 11
Teen Living Center gives kids launching pad to future success By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com LAYTON—The Teen Living Center is well underway in Layton and expected to be completed before the school year begins. The residential facility is meant to give teens who otherwise would not have a safe or consistent place to live the opportunity to have the resources they need to keep them on track for high school graduation and provide them with the basic needs to be successful. “Kids experiencing homelessness have a greater risk for negative behaviors in the future,” said Kara Toone, Internal Partnerships and Grant Coordinator Davis Education Foundation. “Those who don’t receive a high school diploma are at 346% higher risk of experiencing homelessness in early adulthood. To get them across the finish line the public needs to have a strong role in combating intergenerational poverty.” Services need to be provided on the back end, she said. “Kids are fighting a tough uphill climb if they don’t graduate. Graduation is one of the mitigating factors.” Onsite Teen Centers have already been successful in high schools throughout the district, providing a place to shower, do laundry, study and receive resources to help students be successful in school. “We’ve seen the benefit of the Teen Centers,” said Toone. “But where do they sleep? Some are couch surfing,
RENDERING OF THE TEEN LIVING CENTER. The facility is expected to be completed before school starts.
some are more severe like living in tents, unheated buildings, sheds or behind the grocery store.” The Teen Living Center is a 16-bed facility to give kids a support system. “It’s difficult to launch a child into a teen if they don’t have a support system.” Funding for the construction and operations of the center is provided through public/private partnership, individual and corporate donors and grant funding, Toone said. “No tax or district
Courtesy of VCBO
dollars are being used.” The center is equipped with a kitchen and a pantry, she said. “The kids can sit and do homework at the long kitchen island. The pantry is like home with snacks, etc. Something we’ve found at the teen center in the schools is the question of whether kids will take advantage of that. Once the kids realize that there’s no scarcity, they don’t need to stockpile. There’s enough for everybody.” There has been an overwhelming re-
sponse from the community, said Toone. “They’ve donated hygiene items and food. There’s been no shortage of anything. The community has been so generous. I don’t see an end in sight. People have really been stepping it up to fill our warehouse.” The center has separate bathroom/ shower stalls with common sink areas, Toone said. “The doors all have locks. Each room has a captain’s bed, and a wardrobe. They’re bright and airy individual rooms. They aren’t shared. For some of the kids this is the first time they’ve had a room of their own.” Eligible secondary school students, prospective residents must follow this intake process: All students will be required to complete a referral process through a steering committee. Residents will typically be Davis School District students. “There is a work requirement to stay here,” said Toone. “They have to agree to attend school and have 20 hours of combined work or extracurricular activities. The idea is not to come sit here and waste time. We want them to be looking forward to building a foundation for the next phase of life. They also have to submit to drug testing and have parental consent.” A third-party nonprofit, Switchpoint Community Resource Center, will operate the facility with Davis School DisPlease see CENTER: pg. 3
June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month – be your own best advocate
RASA IS A LEGAL TECH company on a mission to provide simple and affordable criminal record expungement. Davis Tech and Rasa will host an event on June 18 to announce their partnership.
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ONE PERSON IN 9 (10.9%) over age 65 is living with Alzheimer’s. At age 85, 33.4% of all people are living with the disease. It is the third leading cause of death among Davis County residents.
Courtesy photo
By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com DAVIS COUNTY—There are 6.9 million Americans over the age of 65 and older who are living with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. That number is projected to increase to nearly 14 million by 2060, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month and the association wants people to become educated on these topics in the hope that they will take charge of their brain health. The Davis County Health Department (DCHD) was recently selected for the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map Strategists.This initiative will allow
the DCHD to enhance its capacity to address brain health and dementia for the residents of Davis County “About half are never diagnosed,” said Jim Herlihy, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, Alzheimer's Association Rocky Mountain Region. “Be aware of symptoms in your loved ones. If you see changes or memory loss go see the doctor and get a physical and have it checked out.” Other conditions can mimic Alzheimer’s, he said. “It’s hard to plan without a diagnosis. Depression, dietary issues, urinary problems, chronic stress, etc. can have similar symptoms.” Please see ALZHEIMER’S: pg. 2
Davis Tech, Rasa partner to provide vital support to justice-impacted students By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com KAYSVILLE—There are about 800,000 people in Utah who have a criminal record. Long after that can still be a barrier to opportunities, employment and professional licenses. Davis Technical College (Davis Tech) has partnered with Rasa, a legal tech company to provide vital support to justice-impacted students. Davis Tech and Rasa will hold an event on June 18, to announce the partnership and what it means for current and past students. “I met (Davis Tech) President (Darin) Brush a year ago and we immediately connected,” said Noella Sudbury, CEO and Founder of Rasa. “We could see a lot of
overlap. Although we don’t collect data, there could be many who come from that background. It might be a more common barrier for graduates of Davis Tech.” Sudbury said they considered what should be done to help them. “President Brush thought there was a high percentage of students there who struggled with this. We’ve developed a tool that counts a person with a record to see if they are eligible for expungement under Utah law.” Hopefully students can graduate without a record, she said. “We want to support students and empower them with the knowledge they need to take action. To give someone with a record a path to hope Please see RASA: pg. 3