Roca Gang Prevention Project (RGPP)

OJJDP seeks applicants to establish mentoring programs that offer a mixture of core services and engage youth with activities that enable them to practice healthy behaviors within a positive pro-social peer group. The target population should be youth at risk of gang activity, delinquency, and youth violence. This program should develop and strengthen protective factors against gang involvement and other problem behaviors. It can be based in a school or community setting. Successful applicants will include organizations, local school districts, and communities dealing with demonstrated gang problems who are a part of a communitywide strategy to combat gang activity. This initiative is authorized under the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2009, Pub. L. 111-8.

Roca, Inc. will implement their Gang Prevention Project (RGPP) which is based on the Stages of Change used in cognitive behavioral methodologies. The effort will engage participants in unique multi-year transformational mentoring relationships along with a menu of core services that fulfill adolescent development needs within the context of a positive pro-social peer group including recreation, life skills, education, and pre-vocational/employment focused activities. Success will be measured through the number/quality of mentoring relationships and an assessment of the resulting positive behavior changes. CA/NCF