
Margaret Wakelin
Host: Equip for Equality
Sponsor: Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation
Lashawnda advocated for the educational rights of low-income dual-system involved children and students critically at risk of court involvement through policy advocacy, special education advocacy, legal education, and legal training.
Georgia youth in foster care are critically at risk of justice involvement. Children in foster care come to school with compounded issues and barriers due to the circumstances leading to removal, complex trauma, and a host of other problems that largely remain unaddressed. Of the approximate 14,000 children in Georgia foster care, less than a third are likely to graduate from high school. More than 75% of this special population of children perform below grade level. Despite special group status, foster children are still more likely to experience exclusionary school discipline and justice involvement due to behavioral challenges they may exhibit as a result of removal(s) from their families, constant school and placement transfers, and incidents of trauma before and during their time in care. Capitalizing on the Georgia Appleseed Foster Care Student Tribunal Project and Bridges to Behavioral Wellness, this project aimed to change the social and academic trajectory of justice-involved youth in foster care, particularly children of color and children with disabilities, and other students at high risk of involvement.
During the two-year Fellowship, Lashawnda:
Lashawnda decided to continue her advocacy work as a staff attorney for Georgia Appleseed and Atlanta Legal Aid. Lashawnda tackles systemic justice and policy issues at Georgia Appleseed and directly represents children in foster care with significant disabilities at Atlanta Legal Aid.
‘Negative outcomes’ for kids linked to push for school safety
Host: Equip for Equality
Sponsor: Greenberg Traurig Fellowship Foundation
Host: Mississippi Center for Justice
Sponsor: Friends and Family of Philip M. Stern
Host: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc.
Sponsor: Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Texas Access to Justice Foundation
Host: Disability Law Center
Sponsor: Equal Justice Works Text-to-Give