Thousands of children across Georgia are thrust into juvenile courtrooms each year, often feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for the experience. But that could be changing through the efforts of one local teen.
In the past year, Sanjana Shah, a senior at Johns Creek High School and an award-winning student writer, has researched and published an age-appropriate book and an activity booklet to help these youngsters.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Using money she raised, she’s mailed out 2,000 copies of her resources to court programs, child advocacy organizations, and Court Appointed Special Advocate(CASA) programs in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Sanjana’s 36-page book, “Lily Testifies in Court: A Book for Children in Criminal Court,” is designed to help foster children and young crime victims, ages 8 to 15, understand the ins and outs of juvenile court, everything from testifying on the witness stand to who will be in the courtroom, and what the room will look like. It’s drawn on Sanjana’s research and her interviews, primarily with juvenile court officials in Fulton and Forsyth counties.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachelle Carnesdale initially tried to temper Sanjana’s expectations. “I told her it would be a monumental project,” the judge said, “but she was undeterrable. I’ve had lots and lots of student interns, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a kid with so much drive.”
Fueled by an unrelenting passion for the project, 17-year-old Sanjana put in about 500 hours of work. The impact has been life-changing, not only for some of Georgia’s children but for Sanjana herself.
“This project might have changed my life plan. It really made me more interested in law, social justice and child welfare,” Sanjana said, adding that she hasn’t yet settled on a specific career goal.
The beginnings of an idea
Growing up, Sanjana had a couple of experiences that she says likely pushed her to want to help young children.
She remembers that after her father passed away when she was 4, she became anxious and worried about the future and her family. Those childhood fears proved unfounded but created a special place in her heart for children who might feel in peril in foster care or a potentially abusive situation, she said.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Sanjana Shah
Credit: Photo courtesy of Sanjana Shah
As a high school freshman, Sanjana joined a nonprofit that put volunteers to work tutoring foster children in school subjects that challenge them. The volunteers also spent time with the foster children in fun extracurricular activities.
One of the children Sanjana spent about five months tutoring shared that she had been overwhelmed and confused by the court process and all the strangers she met while going from foster home to foster home.
“I just really thought: Why is there this gap? Why does she feel so overwhelmed?” Sanjana said. “I started to see there is a need for resources that help these children and children in abusive situations.”
Last year, Sanjana was recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. She received one of the organization’s highest literary honors, an American Voices Medal from the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The award is given to only 1% of students from across the country who submitted 320,000 entries.
Bolstered by that recognition, her path to helping these children was clear. She would put her longtime passions for writing and storytelling to work for the children, including the estimated 11,000-plus in foster care in Georgia.
Sanjana’s book tells the story of Lily, a young girl in foster care who is preparing to testify in court. In advance of the hearing on her future, she is introduced to several people who will be there to support her. They all explain their roles, as well as the names and duties of others who will be in court. The activity book focuses almost exclusively on the CASA program and includes a word search and other games, encouraging interaction between a volunteer and child.
Court officials and child advocates who assisted Sanjana say they are elated by the results of and positive response to all her efforts. Cicely Barber, chief administrative officer of Fulton County Juvenile Court, said Atlanta CASA and other CASAs around the country plan to incorporate Sanjana’s “remarkable book” into their programs.
Judge Carnesdale said she’s “never seen a book like this. Sanjana did a beautiful job of focusing her book on the group she wanted to impact. I’m very proud of her.”
Margaret Riley Schweizer, judicial staff attorney to Christopher W. Yokom, deputy chief judge of Fulton County Juvenile Court, said Sanjana’s work “provides a developmentally appropriate introduction” to the court system for children in temporary custody of the Department of Family and Children Services.
“And I believe any such child who receives a copy will be better off for it,” she said.
Schweizer said working with Sanjana, seeing her vision come to life, and knowing the impact it will have has been incredibly inspiring.
“It is a further reminder of the amazing potential that the children in our state have,” she said. “I cannot wait to see what she does next.”
Sanjana’s book is available on Amazon for $7.99. Her 501c3 nonprofit is A Voice for Youth in Court at avoiceforyouthincourt.org.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Sanjana Shah
Credit: Photo courtesy of Sanjana Shah
HELP US CELEBRATE EVERYDAY HEROES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is looking for inspiring Georgians — “Everyday Heroes” — who are making a difference, big or small, in their communities. Do you know someone who is going above and beyond to help others? Someone helping transform their community? Someone whose acts of kindness bring out the best in all of us? We’d like to hear from you — give us your ideas so we can all celebrate these extraordinary Georgians. Please submit your nominations via email to Nicole.Williams@AJC.com.
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