Napa Superior Court Contact: Tammy Glathe, Planning and Research Director Napa Superior Court 825 Brown Street Napa, CA 94559 E-mail: glathet@napa.courts.ca.gov This program was a winner of the 2001 Law Day Activity Awards Student Contest and Community Information Activity Booths People reached: Napa Valley Students: 56 private and public schools were notified of the student contest and the Law Day event, held on Friday, May 11, 2001. 217 students participated in the contests. Community and Government Agencies: Letters were sent to 42 agencies inviting them to participate. 21 agencies staffed 25 booths. At any one time, there were 70 staff members from these various agencies on site. General Public: In addition to the press releases, board resolution and posters, we distributed nearly 10,000 flyers throughout Napa Valley in both English and Spanish to get the word out. The Results are estimated as follows: The Friday before Law Day we had 320 persons visit the civil courthouse. On Law Day, we had 476 persons visit. 80 children entered the courthouse to have their picture taken in a judge’s robe. (It is likely we would have had higher numbers, but we ran out of film before the event was over.) Based on the number of items that were given away we estimate there were 100-150 visitors to each community booth. Activity Summary: The Napa Superior Court’s Law Day 2001 event centered on the theme “Protecting the Best Interests of Our Children”. We invited all schools in the Napa Valley to participate in a student contest. Over 200 poster entries were received, which we prominently displayed throughout our main courthouses, the week of and the week following Law Day. On Law Day, non-profit community and government agencies hosted 25 outdoor booths. This event was fun and educational, providing important information about available programs for children from drug resistance education to car seat safety. Activity Narrative: The Superior Court of California, County of Napa has been participating in Law Day for the past three years. This year’s event was our most significant undertaking to date. The Court invited students from all schools in the Napa Valley to participate in our Law Day contest. This included 38 public schools (5 school districts) and 18 private schools. The contest included a poster contest for grades K-6, and a photo or essay contest for grades 7-12. The contests revolved around the Protecting the Best Interests of Our Children theme. For example, the poster contest requested the students to illustrate the benefits of a safety law. The response was tremendous. We received 212 entries for our poster contest. The posters were creative and insightful. Some examples are listed: computer blocks for Internet safety, gun safety, no smoking, no drinking and driving, no drugs, keep poisons away from children, wear your seatbelt, wear your helmet, use a crosswalk, be seen at night, tell your parents where you are, don’t play with fire, wear your lifejacket when in the water. We also had 5 high school students participate in the photography contest. These students took photographs of signs that are intended to promote safety, such as “No one Under 21 Allowed” “Drive Carefully, Children at Play”. The posters and photographs were displayed in our two main courthouses the week of and the week after law Day. Many people had the chance to see them and were sorry when they were taken down to be returned to the students. All of the students who participated in the contest received a certificate signed by two of our judges. Contest winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd place awarded by grade grouping K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12) received a law Day medal and Savings bond (1st and 2nd place) or Bookstore gift certificate (3rd place). All students were invited to attend a ceremony in their honor, held as part of our Law Day event. Judge Stephen T. Kroyer was the master of ceremonies and gave the prizes to the winners and the certificates to any of the other entrants at the ceremony. The second major aspect of this year’s law day was extensive community participation. The Court sent letters to 42 non-profit community and government agencies that provide one or more child centered programs asking them to participate. Judge Stephen T. Kroyer and Judge Raymond A. Guadagni signed the letters. Interested agencies joined the court in planning session. We decided to hold an outdoor event, with information booths and activities centered on the Protecting the Best Interests of Our Children theme. We issued press releases to all local newspapers and the radio station, displayed posters, sent flyers to schools and community agencies and posted it on our web page. The flyers were in English and Spanish. Tables with representatives of the following agencies were set up around the Courthouse Square to attract as much foot traffic as possible. Napa Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Napa Valley Unified School District, Napa County Office of Education, Napa County Peer Court, Napa Superior Court, Health and Human Services, Polly Klaas Foundation, Family Court Services, D.A.R.E., Napa County Sheriff’s Department, Community Resources for Children, California Department of Forestry/Napa County Fire Department, Healthy Moms and Babies, CASA/CAPP, Victim/Witness Sexual Assault Services, Health and Human Services-Children’s Services, WIC Nutritional Program, Napa Community Resources-Recreation Division, Napa-Solano Head Start, Napa Emergency Women’s Services, Department of Fish and Game, Aldea Children and Family Services, Child or Parent Emergency There programs provided all kinds of children’s activities such as water play, necklace making, skin stickers, coloring books and balloons. A fire truck and sheriff’s patrol car were available for children to sit in and explore. The only mobile fish tank in California was on hand which entertained both children and adults alike. 80 of our visitors had their picture taken in a judge’s robe on the bench. But most importantly, all of these agencies provided information to the public regarding the program and services they offer. Three agencies also provided demonstrations on the proper use of child safety seats. Future events include court participation in other agency outreach efforts. The Court is also planning a law day focus group to learn how we can improve our efforts to involve the local bar more extensively (they were unable to host a booth this year) and how to work more effectively with the schools, etc. Agencies have already expressed interest in participating in next year’s event. Sample Programs Home | By Audience | By Location | By Sponsoring Organization