Youth Gang and Violence Prevention Project

The Five Towns Community Center is committed through the Youth Violence and Gang Prevention Project to reduce the growth and proliferation of youth violence and gangs through community mobilization, prevention strategies that include outreach, individual counseling interventions, after school services and youth leadership training. The project will provide parenting skills and gang awareness training. The target population will be 55 youth ages 7 to 15. These youth are of minority and working poor backgrounds, single-parent households; educationally underachievers, exhibiting behavioral problems in school, home and/or community; victims of drug abuse and/or involved with the juvenile justice system. Most research and model programs designed for gang prevention reveal that youth engaged in structured activities in a nurturing environment are less likely to get involved with the juvenile justice system than their peer counterparts who are on the streets after school hours. Progress and impact of this project will be measured by youth and parent participation in program services, academic performance, reduced school detention and suspensions related to acting out behaviors. Parents' verbal and written feedback will be solicited to measure the effectiveness of parenting skills training and gang awareness workshops. NCA/NCF