One Heart Project provides services to Rockwall County youth with grant from Texas Bar Foundation

Grant provides support services to help at-risk and justice-involved youth develop life skills and reduce recidivism rates.

Rockwall, TX (May 7, 2025) –   One Heart Project is pleased to announce that the Texas Bar Foundation has renewed its grant commitment to support continued services for justice-involved youth in Rockwall County. One Heart Project is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) organization that equips justice-involved and at-risk youth with the skills, tools, and healthy relationships they need to navigate life successfully.

This marks One Heart Project’s second year of partnership with Rockwall County Juvenile Services, with all participants of the county’s first youth cohort having completed the program earlier this spring. The program, which began in Rockwall in fall 2024, is designed to reduce recidivism, promote improved outlooks and behaviors, and lead to a sustainable future.

The key to this program is the guidance of a One Heart Youth Development Specialist (YDS), who meets regularly with participants to explore nine core values learning modules, including Commitment, Leadership, Perseverance and Self-Control. These core values, supported by stories of real-life people and hands-on activities, form the basis of how participants reassess their outlooks and behaviors. By the end of the program, participants have a new cognitive framework, along with tools and skills, to interact with others more productively.

Along the way, the YDS also provides prosocial role modeling, applying the very skills and tools learned in the program, as well as case management. In this way, youth participants understand  they have the assistance of a caring professional and additional resources if needed.

“Seeing the way these young men were coming into the program versus how they were once they all graduated was something truly special,” stated Taylor Kusch, YDS for Rockwall. “I saw many of them adjust their beliefs to something better and gain a brighter hope for their futures! Being able to reach these young men at a critical point in their lives is a gift  I can’t put a price tag on.”

Wherever the organization works with justice-involved youth, One Heart Project engages with local juvenile justice officials who refer youth to the program. At all stages, One Heart Project staff work closely with youth probation officers to monitor each participant’s progress. One Heart Project values partnerships with grant-makers like the Texas Bar Foundation to help break the cradle-to-prison pipeline and spark generational transformation.

“We are deeply grateful to the Texas Bar Foundation for their generous support again this year,” said Brandon Manley, One Heart Project National Program Director. “Their initial investment in two years of female programming in Nueces County laid the groundwork for lasting impact, and their continued partnership allowed us to successfully launch a program in Rockwall County. Thanks to their ongoing commitment, we can continue serving youth and their families in collaboration with Rockwall County Juvenile Services.”

Press release submitted by Alyssa Pinnell, One Heart Project, edited for publication in Blue Ribbon News.