2026 Dean Jack Otis Lecture Series

October 28, 2026
1:00 - 2:30PM CT

Walter Webb Hall

1.5 CEUs

Free

Registration Required

An expert panel will examine how the humanities, particularly music and creative expression, can inform innovative policy responses to youth trauma and justice involvement. The program highlights the collaboration between Travis County’s Transformative Youth Justice (TYJ) initiative and Austin Classical Guitar (ACG), illustrating how partnerships between justice systems and community arts organizations can support rehabilitation and constructive pathways for justice-involved youth.At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to:

- Describe the role of humanities-based interventions, including music and creative expression, in supporting resilience, rehabilitation, and positive development among justice-involved youth.

- Identify policy considerations and community-based strategies that address youth trauma and support constructive alternatives within juvenile justice systems.

- Analyze how cross-sector collaboration among courts, education systems, and community arts organizations can inform innovative approaches to youth justice programming.