Our Mission
“Empowering at-risk youth with the skills to avoid crime and violence”
What We Do
Council on At-Risk Youth serves the highest-risk students in three school districts in Central Texas by empowering CARY students, to find their voice and become successful members of our community. We are targeting kids with a history of trauma, poverty, abuse, racial discrimination, and special needs. Suspensions from school are the #1 predictor of dropout, involvement in juvenile justice, and future issues in adulthood like unemployment, welfare reliance, and imprisonment.
100%
Economically Disadvantaged
75%
Incarcerated Family Member
70%
Male
25%
Special Education
- Adolescents who have a history of trauma, poverty, abuse, racial discrimination, and special needs are over-represented in the justice system.
- School suspensions are the #1 predictor of dropout, juvenile justice involvement, and future issues in adulthood like unemployment, reliance on welfare, and imprisonment.
History
CARY was formed in 1999 in response to the Columbine tragedy in an effort to increase school safety and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. CARY has successfully provided services for over 27,000 children since its founding. CARY currently serves 1,900 students in 19 middle and high schools across three school districts in Central Texas.
Message from our Founder & Executive Director Emeritus, Adrian Moore
Schools We Serve
Austin ISD
- Akins High School
- Bedichek Middle School
- Crockett High School
- Dobie Middle School
- Kealing Middle School
- Lively Middle School
- Martin Middle School
- Navarro High School
- Northeast Early College High School
- Paredes Middle School
- Travis High School
- Webb Middle School
- Covington Middle School
- O’Henry Middle School
- Burnet Middle School
Del Valle ISD
- Dailey Middle School
- Del Valle High School
- Del Valle Middle School
- Ojeda Middle School
Manor ISD
- Decker Middle School
- Manor Middle School
- Manor Hight School
Our Program
CARY’s Youth Advisers work directly with students and families to reduce youth violence and crime. School disciplinary acts are powerful predictors of future delinquency and criminality. CARY works with youth at a stage when intervention is most successful and the student’s school and learning experience can be turned around.
PeaceRox Program
Weekly, voluntary groups focus on social skills training and individual coaching to teach kids new skills as alternatives to aggression and campus violence.
Individual Counseling
Individual sessions are provided for each student on a monthly basis in combination with the group.
Parent Empowerment
A parent component is incorporated to bring families together to participate in activities that will improve family functioning and decrease student problem behaviors that are impacting school performance.
Service Learning
Service Learning Projects are a method of teaching, learning, and reflecting that combines academic classroom curriculum with meaningful community service.
Collaboration
CARY collaborates closely with school principals, assistant principals, counselors, teachers, and other youth services agencies.
Evidence-Based Curriculum
CARY’s evidence-based Youth Violence Prevention Curriculum provides life skills training, anger management training, one-on-one counseling, group counseling, and confidence-building field trips. CARY students have the highest likelihood of becoming involved in the school-to-prison pipeline based on serious disciplinary referrals including drug use, gang involvement, and violence.
Thank you to our Partners:
The City of Austin, Travis County, Austin Independent School District, Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, and the U.S. Department of Justice are funding sources for CARY, but the information presented herein does not officially represent the opinion or policy of these government agencies.