Circuit Court

 

St. Louis Juvenile Court Judge Jimmie Edwards has been selected by the editors of People Magazine as a national finalist for the publication’s 2011 People Readers’ Choice Hero campaign.

 

Judge Edwards and his Innovative Concept Academy was featured in the Sept. 22 issue of People Magazine. 

 

In 2009, after watching a string of teen offenders come through his courtroom, Judge Edwards took action. Along with 45 community partners, he took over an abandoned school and opened the Academy. Providing strict discipline, counseling and programs like chess, music and creative writing, and mandatory after-school activities, the center has changed the lives of many young people, giving them the opportunity to graduate from high school and lead successful lives.

 

“I am so proud of all the teachers, staff, volunteers, and most of all, the students who have made our Innovative Concept Academy a success,” said Judge Edwards. “By supporting our school St. Louis is refusing to give up on troubled juveniles and, in turn, the students are proving that hope for a better life is a universal dream.”

 

The winner of the People Readers’ Choice Hero will receive $10,000 to use for his or her charitable cause.

 

Vote at www.people.com/readerhero

 

Voting ends on October 13, 2011. You can vote as many times as you like.

 

Please spread the word by cross posting on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo groups and other social media and encourage others to vote and help the Innovative Concept Academy win the much-needed $10,000 prize.

 

Circuit Court

City of St. Louis