The PREP (Peace, Responsibility, Equity & Purpose) Project

Pathways to Leadership (P2L), collaborating with New York City Department of Education’s (NYCDOE) Schools, The Bronx High School for Writing and Communication Arts, Bronx Academy of Health Careers, and the Bronx Lab School co-located on the Evander Childs Educational Campus in the Gun Hill section of the South Bronx, will implement the P.R.E.P. (Peace, Respect, Equity and Purpose) Project designed by an inclusive planning team involving school administration/staff, parents, students, and collaborators.  PREP will utilize research-based, highly-vetted conflict resolution, social emotional learning, and community building services that will increase the capacity of these schools to reduce violence and foster social emotional skills and resiliency, leading to the creation of safe and inclusive learning communities that have high academic and behavioral standards providing students the opportunity for a successful future. Located in the second poorest Congressional District in the Nation and a NYSED designated “Target” District, each of these three Title 1 schools is also co-located on a NYCDOE designated “Warning Card School” campus and is in dire need of proven interventions and training not only to address the negative behaviors in schools but also their root causes. Through a well-structured partnership with The Leadership Program (TLP), PREP will provide these supports via a scaffolded wrap around program anchored in TLP’s CASEL, OJJDP and CrimeSolutions.gov vetted violence prevention curriculum. Programming will include blanketed grade-specific conflict resolution/SEL push-in services, aligned professional development and parent workshops, and a campus-wide restorative justice (RJ) initiative. PREP will also provide mentoring, counseling, case management, and attendance improvement initiative based in social-work theory called R.I.S.E. (Re-Integrating Students to Education). A PREP Advisory Council (AC) will be created to ensure open dialogue with and input from all stakeholders. The program will run September 15, 2022--June 24, 2025 and will serve approximately 950 students, 64 teachers and 200 parents, costing $1,000,000.