Lynn Violence Prevention Initiative - Positive Outcomes for Middle School Youth in the City of Lynn, MA

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

North Shore Community College (NSCC) will expand the work of a community-based partnership in the city of Lynn, MA ' the Lynn Violence Prevention Initiative ' designed to prevent youth involvement in gangs and violence. A prevention program for youth ages 10 through 14 was launched in the summer of 2005 as a pilot and then continued to serve 25 youth at a time in 8-week sessions during the academic years (AY) 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 through an OJJDP grant that operated at NSCC's Lynn campus. Through the commitment of the community and the support of the original OJJDP grant, Project YES has established itself as a valuable resource for middle school youth in the city of Lynn, MA. With the experience and 'lessons learned' from the pilot and the first OJJDP grant, North Shore Community College has furthered its long-range plan to offer effective evidence-based programming for targeted youth, provide on-going support to their families through a parents' program, add new training and skill development for staff in youth programs, and strengthen community linkages for the purpose of violence and gang prevention. The primary strategy of this 'phase two' OJJDP grant is to better integrate the programming elements of Project YES into the life of the community. Phase Two will also strengthen the program activities by adding depth to the program curriculum, instituting better connections between youth and family elements, and formalizing strong mentoring connections to older youth and college students. By preventing involvement in violence and gang activity before youth become gang members, and surrounding them with family and community supports, the initiative seeks to reduce the overall problem of youth and gang violence in Lynn. The effectiveness of these efforts will be measured through the level of participation among the targeted youth, their families, and community members as well as the use of other required performance indicators.

NCA/NCF