Institute for Youth Justice

10/15/2026

We are accepting applications for our 2027 cohort! Deadline is October 30th. Help spread the word to youth you know!

08/31/2026

EXCITING NEWS…. Our new website is live! Check it out at www.instituteforyouthjustice.org

A special thanks to Heather Marie Creative and Heather Marie Schiefer for helping us out with this! Could not have done it without you! Check out https://www.heathermarie.design/ for your website needs! She is great!

Also, the 2026-27 application is now live too!

Nothing Found Welcome to the Institute for Youth Justice The Institute for Youth Justice is a five-month leadership training program available for all 11th and 12th grade students in Spartanburg County. This liberty fellowship venture seeks to help students gain a deeper understanding of the inner-w...

08/25/2026

Applications are open for the 2027 cohort! Help spread the word and encourage the youth you know to apply today! Deadline is 5pm October 30th. Applications can be downloaded at www.instituteforyouthjustice.org

05/22/2026

It began as a question - what do you do if you get pulled over? - and one woman’s vision, determination, and passion for youth and our local justice system. Today, thanks to our founder Hope Blackley and the many partners and collaborators along the way, the Institute for Youth Justice is celebrating a decade of building bridges between Spartanburg County youth and local justice officials. Last week, in a packed room filled with close to 200 friends, family, partners, and community members, we came together to recognize the graduation of the Institute’s 8th class and celebrate 10 years of impact. Thank you to those who joined us in celebrating this special milestone and to our founder Hope Blackley who saw a challenge and created an opportunity that more than 180 students across all 7 Spartanburg County School Districts, private and home schools have had the opportunity to participate in over the years. Here’s to many more!

05/13/2026

Session 5 of the Institute for Youth Justice was held today at the Spartanburg Academic Movement. This session, entitled “connecting the Dots,” was added this year thanks to the generous support of Spartanburg’s Academic Movement. We started the morning off with a career spotlight from Spartanburg county Coroner Rusty Clevenger. We then heard from Jessie Schlosser at OneSpartanburg about the many internships that are being offered through the STAR Fellowship program. Dr. Russell Booker, Spartanburg Academic Movement, joined us mid-morning to talk about the importance of knowing your personal mission, fission, and values, and charting the course ahead. Troy Hanna, Spartanburg County Foundation, shared the importance of giving your time, talent, and treasures and Dr. Simon wrapped up the morning with an engaging discussion on the importance of mental health. Thank you to everyone who helped with the planning of this new session, and to our students who were engaged and reflective on their journey over this past five months! And a special thanks to Caitlin Hazel for preparing the space and handling all logistics! Graduation here we come!

04/14/2026

Session 4 of the Institute for Youth Justice was held today at the Spartanburg County Courthouse. Thank you to our partners at the Courthouse who helped to plan this engaging morning of learning about various aspects of our local judicial system, inside and outside the courtroom. A special thanks to Clerk of Court Amy Cox and team, Solicitor Barnette and team, Circuit Court Judge - Mark Hayes, Probate Judge - Ponda Caldwell, Magistrate Judge - Tommy Wall, Magistrate Judge - David Turner, Family Court Judge - Pete Diamaduros, DJJ - Amy Wilcox, Zach Farr - private lawyer, Jamia Foster - public defender and private lawyer, SLED Agent Zharne Glover, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office - Lieutenant Bradley, Joan - Spartanburg County Baliff, Clerk of Court Supervisor - Tanya Camp, and the many who made this morning possible. Thank you for all you do every day to serve our community and your partnership in this work!

04/09/2026

Hope Blackley
It’s our 10 year Anniversary!!!!!

Please save the date for past participants, parents, school officials and sponsors!

04/09/2026