The project is a program of the Connecticut Pro Bono Network in cooperation with the New Britain and New Haven Public School districts. The project is a pre-court intervention designed to divert the filing of a Family with Service Need (FWSN) petition. This project matches interested attorney volunteers with middle school aged children who are experiencing problems with school attendance. Project experience has shown that in many cases, truancy problems can be alleviated by having a committed adult demonstrating consistent interest in the child's school attendance and providing a role model for the value of education. In other instances, relatively minor interventions, such as meeting with school personnel to address underlying issues that are causing truancy, or helping the child's family access available services, have a surprisingly beneficial impact on a child's school attendance. Our volunteers consistently tell us that their involvement in the Truancy Intervention Project has given them a great deal of personal satisfaction

To work one on one with a child as an advocate/role-model, new volunteers attend two distinct training sessions and complete a criminal background check. A twelve month commitment is requested.

This Pro Bono opportunity is an ideal choice for professionals who are not seeking a volunteer experience in a courtroom setting. Training is designed to be comfortable for attorneys who are not litigators, and who have little or no courtroom experience.

Training topics include:

• special education law
• understanding issues of culture and poverty
• procedure in FWSN cases
• relating to an adolescent client
• community and state services available to clients and their families

Required training for lawyers who volunteer in New Britain:

• Saturday, October 22nd, 8:30 -12:30pm at the CBA, 30 Banks Street, New Britain, CT. and
• Thursday, October 27th, 5:30-8:30pm at the CBA, 30 Banks Street, New Britain, CT.

Required training for lawyers who volunteer in New Haven:

• Saturday, October 22nd, 8:30 -12:30pm at the CBA, 30 Banks Street, New Britain, CT. and
• Tuesday, October 25th, 5:30-8:30pm at Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy, 360 Columbus Avenue, New Haven, CT.

Attending training is an excellent way to learn if the Truancy Intervention Project could be a good Pro Bono fit for you.