Science education for youth who are involved in the justice system: second chances

Schools for justice involved youth face challenges that inhibit offering for-credit science courses. This exclusion results from a lack of facilities, heightened safety restrictions that ban the use of common science appurtenances, and a student body that has either dropped out of school or been disengaged from it. In spite of these challenges, this case study on a remote wilderness school for youth who are in the justice system (HOPE), found that for-credit science can not only be offered to this demographic, but also can be a catalyst for reengaging them in their schooling. The aim of this study was to explore the perceived strains that inhibited schooling for this demographic; the methods that HOPE used to mitigate these strains; and the conduciveness of place-based approaches for students earning a required high school science credit. Document analysis, interviews with staff and educators (n = 6), and a site observation revealed these key aspects of the program. Therefore, I argue that schools for youth in the justice system re-envision what science education entails and consider place-based techniques, rather than not offering science courses and denying their students the opportunity to earn a required credit for high school completion.