Youth Initiatives News Archive

A new national commission bringing awareness to the unique issues women face in the criminal justice system started its journey with a visit to our Brownsville Community Justice Center.

"To finally end gun violence in our communities, we need to invest in our kids and give them the support they need to thrive." That was Anthony Rowe, project director of our Neighbors in Action program in Brooklyn, after the team partnered with Launch Charter School in Crown Heights to support a walkout of more than 100 middle school students for National Gun Violence Awareness Month. In Our Time Press, hear from teachers, community activists, and lawmakers on the tragic toll of gun violence in Brooklyn and the important work being done to prevent it.

NBC profiles our Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) program, which works in Brooklyn and the Bronx to stop shootings by building community relationships and connecting young people to support. Hear from Rahson Johnson, a violence interrupter and youth advocate with our S.O.S. team, who uses his lived experience with gun violence and the prison system to help guide children towards a better path. “The challenge for me was going back to the community that I wanted to destroy, that I was hurt by, and being able to make change,” Johnson tells NBC’s Maya Brown.

With support from Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and NYC Council Member Kamillah Hanks, the Center announced several new youth programs coming to its Staten Island Justice Center. Ranging from restorative justice to placekeeping to entrepreneurship programming, these initiatives will create lasting safety by investing in young people’s passions and neighborhoods. “In addition to directly engaging more community members, this project will pave the way for enhanced collaboration with other community organizations,” said Sonila Kada, the director of Staten Island Justice Center.

Brownsville, Brooklyn, gained 19 young mental health advocates thanks to the B-Well program, a collaboration between the Brownsville Community Justice Center, Transformation Counseling Services, and Pitkin Ave BID. A cohort of young adults aged 16 to 24 gathered each week to learn how to care for themselves, their mental health, and the broader community in an initiative funded through participatory budgeting. “We would love to have this program again to continue to raise awareness and create a large network of mental health advocates throughout the community,” said Mallory Thatch, senior program manager at Brownsville Community Justice Center.

Summer is here, and that means our RISE team is out in the community, addressing intimate partner and gun violence by creating safe spaces for healing and wellness.

Our communities are safest when they have resources, support, and hope. This Gun Violence Awareness Month, take a look at how our teams across the Center are preventing gun violence by advancing justice in all its facets.

Family members, friends, and neighbors gathered at a playground in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to remember Troy Gill, a 13-year-old boy who was lost to gun violence on February 29. As the community stood together in mourning, they also issued a call to action to mobilize against gun violence and prioritize the safety and well-being of all young people. “We're in a time where a lot of young people don't feel seen and or loved or heard,” said Anthony Rowe, director of our Neighbors in Action program in Crown Heights. “So our path forward is to invest in the youth.”

In this guest feature, young researchers with our Youth Action Institute take a close look at New York City's school policies regarding queer and trans youth, and offer up their bold vision for the future of gender education.

“True healing really requires vulnerability, which is next to impossible in situations of fear or intimidation.” Our researchers Basaime Spate and Rachel Swaner join Sheilah Kast about the findings in our youth gun-carrying report, adding to the timely discussion on gun violence in Baltimore. The relationships between fear, vulnerability, and the security of street networks are key themes on this episode of On the Record.