They are the future owners of a farm-to-table restaurant that focuses on food that energizes the body and mind, a new eatery to be called “Boog’s Burgers” and a welding company that employs at-risk adults to help them get hands on experience. Together Memphis M., Alejandro C. and Devin S. are the first recipients of the PbS J. Russell “Russ” Jennings Scholarship Award, headed o ...
Blog

Uplifting and Inspiring Ukulele Vibes from the Aloha State
This 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Spotlight sets its sights on a duo from the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. The pair performed an original song titled “Bruddas,” a catchy, upbeat tune you’re likely to find yourself humming along to, possibly even hours after you’ve finished listening. The duo chose to keep the focus of the performance on the strumming hand of the ukulele pla ...

A Trio from Ferris School Sing about their Commitment to Change
Three talented artists presenting a group original song titled “Make A Change” are the spotlight of this 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Finalist blog. The performance opens with the trio seated in chairs, talking to a Ferris School staff member about their upcoming release dates. “What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?” the staff member asks, to which all three ...

Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility Selected as Finalist for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award
The Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), a co-ed facility with an average daily population of 22 residents aged 12-19, was selected as a finalist in the corrections category for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award for their outstanding work in improving health outcomes, specifically the intake screening process. Based on results from their first PbS data collection re ...

The Weather Ambassador Takes On Climate Change In Multnomah County
A creative, original song titled, “Weather Ambassador,” from the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center is the focus of this 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight. Opening with a simple and elegant guitar strum, the rhythmic, nearly hypnotizing voice of the artist blends with a background track to deliver a song that one Selection Committee member calls, “A total Vibe!”

Lyrical Voices Join In Perfect Melody With A Powerful Message
This 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight features two talented artists from Copper Lake/Lincoln Hills School, Wisconsin Division of Juvenile Corrections. Paired up for a duo original song titled “In the Night,” these young singers backed by the sound of a soulful, tender piano arrangement wowed the selection committee with their performance.

Juvenile Corrections Center–Lewiston Selected as Finalist for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award
Named a finalist in the corrections category for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award, Juvenile Corrections Center- Lewiston (JCC-Lewiston) made remarkable and significant progress reducing suicidal and self-injury behaviors of young people in residential care. The focus on reducing self-harm and suicidal ideation became an immediate priority for JCC-Lewiston, a facility for ...

Powerful Words about Fate and Destiny from a Young Writer
This week’s 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight is a spoken poem titled "Destiny" from Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center. Delivered with confidence and poise, without added dramatic flair that would have detracted from the spare prose, the words conveyed a message that lingered long after this talented young writer delivered the final line.

Congratulations to the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award Finalists!
Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce the finalists for the 2022 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award, recognizing facilities that best exemplify PbS’ commitment to treating every young person as one of our own. Each finalist uniquely demonstrated how data can be used to improve outcomes for young people and staff by integrating research-based practices. They focused ...
Congratulations to the 2022 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalists!
The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest was established in 2015 to celebrate and showcase the creative talents of young people in participating correction, detention, assessment and community residential programs. This year, PbS received over 55 entries from 63 young people in 22 different facilities—and wow, what an impressive group of applicants! After careful review and cons ...