Prevention Programs

Dangers Involved with Gangs:

Dangers Involved with Gang (DIG) is a 3-hour gang prevention program for elementary school-aged youth. 

The mission of Dangers Involved with Gangs is to prevent children from joining gangs.

 

The goal of DIG is to provide 5^th grade elementary school students with skills to resist gang influence and involvement.

 

Charlotte Crossroads Teen Theater Project:

 

Charlotte Crossroads Teen Theater Project provides youth with the opportunity to talk with police, and other Crossroads agency members, about issues of youth and gang violence, and, in turn, give agencies an opportunity to hear from youth about their experiences with and solutions for youth and gang violence.  Through the Community Theater/Theater About Community – Teen Project, 20 youth will participate in a crossroads conversation, build community, create a performance that represents their experiences in the community, and organize a teen summit designed to encourage conversation about the present state of Charlotte, specifically issues of violence which impact teens, and the future possibilities of and for Charlotte with youth taking an active role in shaping the future.

 

 

No Easy Walk:

 

No Easy Walk (NEW) is a 36-hour peer leadership, outdoor challenge program which targets middle school youth who evidence early indicators of gang influence and behaviors.   These youth live and attend schools located in neighborhoods identified by Quality of Life Index studies as "challenged" or "transitioning" and in which there are higher numbers of gang contacts as indentified by GangNet.  NEW was developed in 2004 by CMS staff at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School to provide youth with leadership and skill building opportunities.

 

The primary mission of NEW is to create peer leadership and skill building opportunities for middle school youth.  The program goal, objectives, and methods of measurement are indicated below. 

 

RISE (Racing 2 Inspire, Stimulate & Educate):

 

RISE is educational program that offers an innovative approach to math and science through the local motorsports industry.  Up to 20 high school students per 8-week session will participate in hands-on learning experiences and tours, increasing their awareness of jobs in manufacturing, engineering, information technology, and automotives.  Participants will be recruited from No Easy Walk program graduates who live in high risk communities for gang involvement.  Performance measures include the number of participants, number of industry tours, number of completed projects, and increased career interest in the motorsports industry. Performance measurement tools include participant attendance records, planned and actual number of tours, pre- and post surveys. 

 

Youth Violence Prevention Conference:

This annual conference is presented by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Youth Violence Prevention Committee, with Charlotte Area Health Education Center as its education sponsor, and features local and national experts and best practice strategies for local implementation.  Conference participants are eligible to receive 0.7 CEUs/7.0 Contact Hours NBCC, 7.0 Contact Hours NC Psychologists, or 7.0 Continuing Nursing Education Contact Hours.