Project Imagine: Workforce Readiness Intervention Program

Grantees are funded under this initiative to develop program activities based on the core strategies of the Comprehensive Gang Model. Category 1, Intervention, supports intervention strategies that can dissuade youth from joining gangs and help them discontinue their involvement in gangs. Proposed strategies are built upon the principles of the following core strategies in the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang Model: Community Mobilization, Opportunities Provision, and Social Intervention.

The City of Danville proposes to expand its workforce readiness program, Project Imagine. In collaboration with multiple agencies (e.g. Virginia Workforce, Danville Housing Authority, Danville Public Schools, Juvenile Justice, Parks and Recreation, Danville PD, Danville Community college, and others), Project Imagine provides gang/at-risk youth up to 40 hours a week of hands on work training for 9 weeks. The expansion of Project Imagine will provide mandatory 15 hours of incentivized workforce readiness training prior to beginning at a work site. The youth will be connected to a Gang Outreach Worker that will engage with the youth for a minimum of a year. In 36 months, Project Imagine will reduce and sustain reductions in community youth violence, particularly gun and gang violence, and victimization. The program will not use any portion of the project budget to conduct research. CA/NCF