Community Partnership Program

The Community Partnership Program is one of Baxter County's most unique youth programs — a true "win-win" that turns required community service hours into real-world experience, skill building, and a deeper connection between young people and the community they live in. Through partnerships with local nonprofits, schools, and businesses, we place youth in supervised, productive work environments where they can meet court or school obligations and discover what it feels like to be needed, trusted, and appreciated.

What is the Community Partnership Program?

The Community Partnership Program is a service-learning initiative of Community Connections for Youth & Families, Inc. operated in coordination with Baxter County Juvenile Services. It connects youth who owe service hours with host sites — local businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies — where their work makes a tangible difference. Service learning is more than just "putting in time." It blends practical work with reflection and academic learning to build:

• Self-worth and pride in accomplishment
• Communication and social skills
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
• Real exposure to the business world and the workforce

For many of the young people we serve, this is their first job-like experience — and for some, it's the first time an adult outside their family has counted on them and said thank you.

Who We Serve

The Community Partnership Program accepts referrals through three pathways:

This is what makes our program genuinely unusual. Students suspended from Mountain Home Public Schools (and partner districts) don't simply stay home, they perform community service during the hours they would have been in class, for the full term of the suspension. They also attend a specialized class that addresses the specific behavior that led to the suspension.

The result is a consequence that actually teaches something, instead of an unsupervised week off.

How It Works (For Youth and Parents)

1. Referral — A judge, probation officer, diversion coordinator, or school administrator refers the youth to the Community Partnership Program.
2. Intake — A staff member meets with the youth and parent/guardian to review obligations, expectations, and host-site options.
3. Placement — The youth is matched to a host site appropriate for their age, interests, and the referral source.
4. Service — The youth completes assigned hours under host-site supervision; we track attendance and progress.
5. Reporting — Completed hours are documented and reported back to the referring court, school, or program.

For Schools: A Real Alternative to Sitting at Home

Suspending a student without supervision rarely changes behavior. Suspending a student into structured service hours plus a targeted behavioral class changes outcomes. Our school-suspension component:

• Maintains the disciplinary weight of suspension
• Keeps the student productively occupied during school hours
• Addresses the root behavior through a dedicated class
• Reduces the risk of further escalation while the student is out of school

School administrators in Baxter County interested in the suspension component can reach our team directly at 870.425.3840.

Become a Host Site

We are always looking for local nonprofits, faith communities, and small businesses willing to host a young person for a few hours of supervised service. Host sites have included food pantries, animal shelters, parks, thrift stores, civic clubs, and small businesses across Baxter County.

What we ask from host sites:

• A safe, supervised environment
• Real, meaningful tasks (not busywork)
• Willingness to track and verify hours
• Patience and the willingness to model what a good workplace looks like

What you get in return:

• Extra hands for projects that need doing
• A direct, concrete investment in a Baxter County young person
• Recognition as a community partner

Become a host site today!

Proven Impact

Since October 2004, the Community Partnership Program has received over $161,479 in grant funding through partnerships with Mountain Home Public Schools, a measure of how seriously local educators take this program's results. Whether you're a parent navigating a referral, a school administrator considering the program for a suspended student, or a business owner ready to host a young person, we'd love to talk.