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Graduate Social Work student exploring policy and practice

Master's student at Rutgers focused on juvenile justice policy, blending social work training with externship experience at CIYJ.

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Work samples

This portfolio showcases my policy analysis and social work projects from my externship at the Center for Improving Youth Justice, along with my graduate studies.

  • Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ
    Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ
    Center for Improving Youth Justice logo

    Center for Improving Youth Justice · ✅ Verified by Extern · ⏱️ In progress

    Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ

    Somewhere in America right now, a kid is sitting in a juvenile facility where staff outnumber youth two-to-one — and it's still not safe. Meanwhile, another facility with fewer staff but better training has half the assaults. A teenager of color is spending longer in room confinement than a white peer for the same behavior. A younger kid with no family contact is spiraling into more serious incidents with no one connecting the dots. CIYJ has 20+ years of data that captures all of it — youth and staff surveys, incident reports, demographic records, outcome measures — and they need analysts who can find the signal in the noise. In this externship, students dig into that dataset to test the assumptions juvenile justice has operated on for decades, surface the correlations that actually matter, and deliver findings that go straight into CIYJ's advocacy work with state agencies and legislatures. This isn't a practice dataset. The insights you find could change how a facility operates — and what happens to the kids inside it.

    Data AnalysisData VisualizationStrategic CommunicationPolicy Recommendation

About me

Master's student at Rutgers focused on juvenile justice policy, blending social work training with externship experience at CIYJ.

I’m RosaMaria Pontoriero, currently a graduate student in Social Work at Rutgers University, working towards my master’s degree. As I start my career, I’m also exploring new directions. I’m gaining valuable experience as a Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst extern at the Center for Improving Youth Justice, where I focus on developing policies that positively impact youth. This role allows me to apply my academic knowledge in real-world settings, enhancing my skills in analysis and advocacy.

Externships

Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ

In progress

Experience

Comprehensive Social Worker

Union County Division of Social Services · July 2013 - Present

K - 8 Art Teacher

Saint Michaels School · July 2012 - July 2013

Education

Rutgers University, School of Social Work

Master of Social Work, Clinical Concentration

Kean University

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Minor in Developmental Psychology · Class of 2002

Kean University

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Elementary Education K - 8 · Class of 2005

Union County College

Print Media Certification · Class of 2003

Skills

Social work practiceJuvenile justice policy analysisPolicy researchProgram evaluation basicsGraduate-level academic researchAdobe Creative SuiteAIAI-Enhanced DesignBrand MarketingCanvaCampaign ManagementChatGPTCoachingCollaborationCommunicationCommunity ManagementConflict ResolutionCritical ThinkingDecision MakingDesign & Creative Media
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Center for Improving Youth Justice ↗

✅ Verified by Extern · ⏱️ In progress

Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ

Somewhere in America right now, a kid is sitting in a juvenile facility where staff outnumber youth two-to-one — and it's still not safe. Meanwhile, another facility with fewer staff but better training has half the assaults. A teenager of color is spending longer in room confinement than a white peer for the same behavior. A younger kid with no family contact is spiraling into more serious incidents with no one connecting the dots. CIYJ has 20+ years of data that captures all of it — youth and staff surveys, incident reports, demographic records, outcome measures — and they need analysts who can find the signal in the noise. In this externship, students dig into that dataset to test the assumptions juvenile justice has operated on for decades, surface the correlations that actually matter, and deliver findings that go straight into CIYJ's advocacy work with state agencies and legislatures. This isn't a practice dataset. The insights you find could change how a facility operates — and what happens to the kids inside it.

Data AnalysisData VisualizationStrategic CommunicationPolicy Recommendation

Overview

The work analyzed CIYJ's multi-source juvenile justice dataset to test common assumptions and surface meaningful correlations across incidents, demographics, staff ratios, and outcomes. The project established analysis boundaries and applied correlational methods to identify patterns in incident and outcome records.

Juvenile Justice Policy Analyst Externship with CIYJ

What I've accomplished

I produced a completed data-exploration notes sheet that recorded dataset scale, unit of analysis, sheet structure, and locations of variable documentation.

Project breakdown

Situation: I oriented to the CIYJ dataset. Task: I examined the dataset structure and noted scale, unit of analysis, sheet structure, and where variable documentation lived. Action: I recorded responses in a shared spreadsheet. Result: I produced a completed data-exploration notes sheet.

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