DOJ Announces National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Expansion Project

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the 2012 National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Expansion Project. This funding opportunity seeks to select up to four new localities to join the Forum and work collaboratively with the federal government and other cities to address the challenges of youth violence.

Launched by the Departments of Justice and Education, the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention is an initiative that strives to help local communities effectively maximize the use of limited resources and provide an opportunity to learn about and share strategies that effectively target youth violence in other communities. With support from various federal agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Labor (DOL) and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Forum brings together communities and their various stakeholders to raise awareness of youth and gang violence, enhance the capacity of local communities to prevent youth violence and promote increased coordination and communication among national , state and local stakeholders. Currently, there six communities participating in the Forum: Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Salinas (CA) and San Jose (CA).

According to DOL, the Expansion Project will offer $20,000 to up to four new localities that will activities participate in the Forum. Interested applicants must commit to developing comprehensive youth violence prevention plans. The Forum will provide participating localities with technical assistance and support in strengthening local partnerships and improving access to data-driven practices. In addition, the Forum offers a community of practice, which connects participating cities and encourages the sharing of information about the success of local violence prevention models.

The Forum offers communities a unique opportunity to partner with the federal government, as well as other communities working to prevent youth violence.  Recognizing that issues such as youth violence are unique to each locality and require support from various sectors, The Forum encourages participation from a diverse group of stakeholders in each community.  For example, the Forum recognizes that representatives from local health, education, law enforcement and economic development organizations will have a critical role in developing comprehensive violence prevention plans that target the needs of youth and families in their communities.

Eligible applicants include units of local government, including state agencies (only if tartged to a local community), public agencies and tribal governments. Applications are due June, 25 2012. For more information about the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention Expansion Project, including detailed application information, please click here.