About MyArts:
MyARTS has become a haven for at risk teens from every corner of the city: A place where they can explore and express their creative abilities, identify possibilities for continuing education, and most importantly, dispel the myth that the larger world is forever closed to them. At the heart of MyARTS is the belief that skills equal power and opportunity.
MyARTS has three goals, which provide teens with access to the things they need most:
- A safe place where they are respected for their contributions.
- An opportunity to have a voice through exhibitions, commercial services, and public presentations.
- The responsibility of paid employment that promotes their own economic development and acts as a springboard to post-secondary opportunities.
Message from the Prosecutor:
It has been my honor and pleasure to serve Jackson County, Missouri as a prosecuting attorney for the majority of my legal career. Being a prosecutor is an extremely rewarding job. However, like all things that are worthwhile in life, this job is extremely difficult. Jackson County, one of the largest counties in our State and unfortunately has one of the highest crime rates in our State. Just keeping up with our enormous case load and vigorously prosecuting the criminals in Jackson County is more than a full-time job. But it is not enough for me to limit my job to managing our caseload. It is incumbent upon me to set policies and programs that will reduce our crime rate. This is critically important not just for the safety of the public, but also to ensure economic development for Jackson County's future.
An extremely important initiative for reducing crime is the MyARTS program. MyARTS takes high-risk youth and converts them into productive and self-reliant adults. Over the years this program has been accepted by youth as a viable drug prevention effort. MyARTS has also been recognized locally and nationally as a model to reduce underage drinking, illegal drug use, improve grades and provide skills that lead to positive self-esteem. My administration will continue to fight crime through traditional prosecution and incarceration. At the same time we must continue to develop programs like MyARTS in order to provide a comprehensive and realistic approach to crime reduction.
MyArts History:
After two successful initiatives, finding the perfect location in the heart of the arts movement in Jackson County, much research and evaluation of current programs in the Metro area, preparation, and design of each studio, the COMBAT MyARTS program opened in May of 2006.
