Celebrate 15 Years of Prevention!

Founded in 1988, the then Middlesex Criminal Justice Institute was the creation of District Attorney Scott Harshbarger and several Middlesex school superintendents. The non-profit was originally established as a education and training entity for those involved with or affected by the Middlesex criminal justice system, with a specific interest in issues relating to child abuse and neglect, family violence, substance abuse, and at-risk or court-involved youth. The originally stated activities of the non-profit included the development of "innovative services that were responsive to the needs of children, youth, and families," and provision of "local and national leadership in the development of policy, programs and standards."

Today, though the name has changed, Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is proud to continue to expand and enhance the original mission of that fledgling non-profit founded fifteen years ago. It's flagship activity, Project Alliance, with a membership of over 50 school districts in Middlesex, continues to provide thousands of educators and their community partners each year with state-of-the-art information and resources relating to youth health and safety. In addition to training and outreach, the non-profit is home to the START Program (School Tardiness and Attendance Review Teams), an early intervention initiative operating in six communities in cooperation with local school and police departments, with the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, the Middlesex Juvenile Court Probation Department, and the Department of Social Services.

In celebration of the past, current and future activities of the non-profit, a special reception will be held May 8th at the Burlington Marriott from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. This event, hosted by Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley, will honor the founding members of the non-profit and offer an opportunity to look ahead. Special guests will include: Scott Harshbarger, Commissioner of Education David Driscoll, and Attorney General Tom Reilly.

Tickets are $100 per person and proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the non-profit to help continue programming and services in the coming year.

For more information about this special event and to purchase tickets, please contact Traci Bisaillon, at 617-591-7760 or email at info@projectalliance.org.