Teens in the criminal justice system are held at the Durango Juvenile Center in south Phoenix.
The head of community and culture there says more kids in the facility want to graduate high school because they can almost immediately start Arizona State University classes.
KJZZ is identifying the students by their first initial. S is 17 years old.
“I’m good with the stock market. I’ve been trading since I was like 13. It’s how I made my money. I did work at Denny’s,” he said
S is studying business administration and approaching 40 credits.
“Maybe (I’ll be) the top of Goldman Sachs or something. Being a CEO. Telling everybody else what to do. Not everybody telling me what to do,” he said.
A psychology course helped E, 16, understand himself. Now he’s studying leadership.
“I hope to major in forensic science, but the goal is to turn my life around,” he said.
Access to Spotify is a major perk for E and classmates.
“(I) listen to some jammers,” he said.
So does A, 15. He likes math with a soundtrack of Reggaeton and Bachata.
“Because I get to calm down. Especially with music. It helps relax me a lot. And it helps with me focusing a lot and more in school," he said.
Dozens of young people in detention facility have gotten a head start earning hundreds of ASU credits online courses.
Mark Eastin, community and culture manager for Maricopa County detention, said few kids finished high school before the program started in 2024. Now, they want their diploma.
“I think at times this population is forgotten for their crimes in a sense. But, us able to inject hope into these kids, and inject that you are worth something, and that you are able to accomplish something — I think we do a great job of that,” he said.
-
The Peoria Unified School District governing board is reevaluating its "No DEI" policy. Board President Jeff Tobey is proposing changes that he says will allow the district to protect equal treatment while continuing to teach “honest, age-appropriate history.” -
This message is only a minute and 43 seconds long — but it means a lot to Indigenous Parent Committee co-president Monique John, who is Navajo and Jemez. She was among a few dozen citizens backing the proposal amid the Wednesday night public comment window — just moments before the roll call. -
The University of Arizona’s San Xavier research mine in Sahuarita has been the site of a lot of activity. Both the mining industry and federal government see it as an asset for studying new technologies amid a surge in demand for U.S. critical mineral production. -
The Arizona Board of Education is in the process of making changes to the state’s A-F letter grade system for public schools. -
The Scottsdale Unified School District is considering school closures as it faces declining enrollment. At a governing board meeting on Tuesday, the district presented seven options for potential closures.
