Start here

Where do you fit?

Open the one that sounds like you. Every path leads to the same program, this just decides what we ask you and how fast you get in.

01A code on a card

Somebody handed you a card with a six-character code.

That code is the fastest way in. It is already tied to your referral, so there is nothing to fill out and no email needed, a text message and a PIN and you are in.

  • You need: the code, and a phone that gets text messages
  • Takes: about a minute
  • Then: you land on week one
Use my code
02My probation officer sent me

You were referred by DJJ and told to expect a call.

Your officer submits the referral to us. We call you and your guardian within two business days, confirm which track fits, and put it in writing back to your officer.

If nobody has called you yet and it has been more than two business days, register below anyway, that flags it on our end.

  • You need: your name, date of birth, and a guardian's phone number
  • Hours: up to 100 documented toward your requirement
Register with a referral
03The court ordered it

A judge attached a condition you have to satisfy.

Same program, same hours. What changes is the paperwork: we report completion to the referring officer and can produce a court-ready packet, attendance, hours, milestones, completion status, on request.

  • Bring: your case number if you have it
  • Ask us for: the completion certificate with a verification code
Register a court referral
04My school sent me

A counselor, dean, or resource officer referred you.

No case number, no probation officer, no cost. The curriculum is identical to the one the court sends youth to, you just got here earlier, which is better.

  • You need: a guardian to sign off if you are under 18
Register a school referral
05I'm a parent or guardian

Nobody referred them. You are looking for help.

You can enroll your child yourself. No referral, no case, no fee. You will be asked to consent, and you can choose whether their progress is shared with anyone at all.

The consent form is available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole, and you do not need to create an account to sign it.

  • You need: their date of birth and a phone they can be reached on
  • Cost: nothing
Enroll my child
06I'm 18 or over, signing myself up

Young fathers, manhood, money, or a trade, and no guardian needed.

You sign one agreement and you are in, same day. No referral, no officer, no guardian, and nothing about your participation is reported to anybody unless you ask us in writing.

  • You need: your date of birth and a phone that gets text messages
  • Takes: about four minutes
Sign myself up
07I want to mentor, or my organization does

You are an adult, a church, a school, or a partner org.

Mentors go through Level 2 background screening and our credible-messenger training before they are in a room with a young person. Partner organizations start with an alignment call and a written scope.

  • Mentors: training, screening, then a weekly commitment
  • Partners: service project hosts, workforce pathways, guest facilitators
Talk to us
08I'm a probation officer

You need to refer a youth, get a report, or set up a cohort.

Submit a referral in about ninety seconds. You get a tracking code immediately, placement confirmation in writing, and a monthly progress report, plus one Monday digest for your whole caseload instead of an inbox full of notifications.

  • Refer: four fields and a guardian phone number
  • Report: monthly, or a court packet on request
Go to the referral form

Pick a track

Choose how you attend.

Same 23 weeks, same hours, same mentor, three different ways to sit in it. You can switch tracks mid-program without losing a week.

In person

Tuesdays in Little Haiti

Group session, mentorship, gym time, and service projects in our building.

Who
Young men who can get to 67th Street
When
Tuesdays, weekly · evening session
Where
361 NW 67th Street, Miami, FL 33150
Bring
Nothing. Gym shoes if you have them.
Cohorts roll, you start the Tuesday after you register, not whenever a group fills up.
Register — Tuesdays
Live on Zoom

Weekly video group

A facilitated live group with a mentor, for young people who cannot travel to Little Haiti.

Who
South Dade, Broward, no ride
When
A standing weekly slot, set with your unit
Where
Any phone, tablet, or computer
Bring
Headphones and somewhere you can talk
Live means live, a mentor and the same guys every week, not a video you watch alone.
Register — Zoom group
On your own time

Self-paced online

Video lesson, reflection work, and a quiz each week, on your schedule.

Who
Working, in school, or on a tight schedule
When
Any hour, any day
Where
definingnarratives.org on any device
Bring
A phone that gets text messages
Works on a prepaid or shared phone. No email address required.
Register — Online

Currently in custody at Miami-Dade or Broward Regional JDC? You do not register, we are already inside weekly, and the weeks you complete there carry over when you are released.

Good to know

Before you register.

Cost

Nothing, ever. No fee to families, no fee to the Department. Uniforms, workbooks, and gym time are covered.

Age

Built for young people 13–19, and adults 18 and over can enroll themselves. Under 18 means a parent or guardian consents first, we email them the forms.

Service hours

Up to 100 documented hours, earned through sessions, reflection work, approved projects, and mentorship, reported to whoever required them.

Mentors

Every mentor completes Level 2 (state and FBI) background screening and our training before working with a young person.

What we are not

Not therapy. Skills-based mentoring and education. If a young person needs clinical care, we connect them to a licensed provider.

Privacy

Attendance and hours can be shared with a referring officer. What they write in reflection work is not.

Missing a week

Not a strike. Pick the week up online and stay on schedule. We call before it becomes a problem.

Questions

Call [email protected] or read the help center. A person answers.