MARCH 5TH, 2019 is the NATIONAL DAY OF EMPATHY. This national day was founded by Van Jones, CNN political commentator. Prepare Academy and Attachment Leadership have partnered with Van Jones’ organization, Cut50, to host a Dallas, Texas event in conjunction with all 50 STATES + WASHINGTON, D.C.

We will all participate to increase awareness and empathy for those impacted by the criminal justice system.

Dallas, Texas will focus primarily on Restorative Juvenile Justice.

Join us as we dialogue about:

• – the current state of our juvenile justice system.
• – economic disparities for at risk youth and their families.
•  – the impacts that trauma and poverty have on a child’s ability to learn and to function at optimal performance.

Awareness is a great start, but it is not enough. We will take the knowledge we learn from this event and develop strategic plans on how we as a community can better prepare our youth for the future and break the cycles of poverty and. trauma and disrupt the “school-to-prision pipeline”.

We are looking for all voices to be present at this event. If you are a youth advocate, an attorney, mental/behavioral health specialist, a non-profit organization, a faith-based organization, a company looking for diversity & inclusion opportunities, an entrepreneur with a creative mind to solve problems that change lives, or just an individual with a heart for youth and their families then this is an event for you.

Special guest: Van Jones

Guest Speaker: Louis L. Reed, National Organizer for Cut50.org

Panelist include:

• – Judith Tankel (District Director of Rep. Collin Allred)
• – Judge Brandon Birmingham (Presiding Judge for AIM court)
• – Attorney Durrand Hill (Chief Prosecutor of the Juvenile Division of the DA’s Office)
• – Jessica Trudeau (Momentous Institute)
• – Maria Johnson (Head of pediatric virtual training with UTD’s Center for Brain Health)
• – Dallas ISD
• – Cafe Momentum
• – Keeping Families Connected

Not only will we hear from these leaders in the community, we will also hear from youth who have directly been impacted by the juvenile justice system.