The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) has named Williamson County a 2022 County Best Practices Award recipient for Justice of the Peace Precinct 3’s program “What Every Teen Should Know About Texas Law.”
The program was developed by Williamson County Precinct 3 Justice of the Peace Evelyn McLean in August 2021. It is an eight-week program offered to high school juniors and seniors in preparation for adulthood. Every student receives a free copy of the book What Every Teen Should Know About Texas Law written by Gainesville, Texas Municipal Court Judge Christopher Cypert. In addition, Dell Children’s Health Plan provides dinner every week. “What Every Teen Should Know About Texas Law” costs both taxpayers and the participants nothing.
“Our desire is to see young people become successful, productive members of society,” said Judge McLean. “There are numerous topics that are vital to their success as they mature. These subjects are not traditionally taught in a formal education setting. Because of this, we created a program that will provide teens with the knowledge and reassurance they need to enter adulthood. Winning this award was just an added bonus for everyone involved.”
"Dedication to serving the public runs through Judge McLean's educational program," TAC Executive Director Susan M. Redford said. "We hope this award inspires counties beyond Williamson County to try new ways to reach young Texans and teach them about the function and importance of county government."
Williamson County is one of seven Texas counties selected to receive a TAC 2022 County Best Practices Award. The other recipients are Bell, Burleson, Harris, Hidalgo, Montgomery and Tarrant counties.
Every other year, TAC's County Best Practices Awards Program recognizes noteworthy innovations and solutions that increase efficiency, improve operations or overcome obstacles facing county governments. These innovations and solutions help Texas counties better serve their residents. They also serve as models that other counties can duplicate to fit their own needs.
Learn more about TAC's County Best Practices Awards program at www.county.org/bestpractices.
The program also earned the 2022 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award in the category of Criminal Justice and Public Safety.