Mayor Scott, City Schools, MONSE Announce Launch of School-Based Violence Intervention Program
BALTIMORE, MD (Tuesday, December 17, 2024) - Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), in partnership with Baltimore City Public Schools, announced the launch of the City’s School-Based Violence Intervention Program pilot within four Baltimore City high schools: Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School, Carver Vocational Technical High School, Digital Harbor High School, and Edmondson-Westside High School. The program officially began with The Movement Team administering the program for Digital Harbor and Carver on the first day of the 2024-2025 school year. The PEACE Team began the Mervo program in October 2024, and Youth Ambassador Leadership Academy (YALA) began overseeing the program at Edmondson-Westside this month.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that our young people have all of the tools they need to not just survive but thrive,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Our School-based Violence Intervention Program will help support the safety of our young people inside of school in ways that foster their social development and teach peaceful conflict resolution skills. This is about bringing the entire village together to wrap our arms around Baltimore’s youth and ensure that Baltimore’s young people have the tools they need to achieve their full potential.”
In line with Baltimore’s Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan’s focus on growing the city’s community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystem, each school has been paired with a community-based organization uniquely suited to meet the needs of each respective school community, who will administer the program and oversee daily operations. As part of the program, eight student ambassadors per school, two per grade level, will be selected to assist with program implementation, drive student buy-in, and serve as connectors to existing community violence intervention programming and wraparound services.
“Building an effective, comprehensive community violence intervention ecosystem means tailoring programs specifically designed to support Baltimore’s young people and giving them the tools they need to peacefully resolve conflicts,” said MONSE Director Stefanie Mavronis. “This collaborative partnership is about fostering positive norms within our school communities and supporting the continued growth and success of our students.”
As part of the pilot, school-based specialists work with youth, school administrators, and families to shift community norms about the acceptability of violence, create a positive school climate, strengthen problem-solving and conflict management skills, strengthen students' academic performance, and provide counseling for students at the highest risk for violence. This includes intervening in conflict or violence involving students, mediating conflicts inside schools, working with other CVI programs and partners to address incidents in community that can travel to schools, counseling students engaging in high-risk activities, training youth ambassadors and the broader school community in conflict mediation, providing enrichment activities, and coordinating resource and service referrals.
“We are pleased to participate in any effort that provides young people with the tools and skills to avoid the negative impacts of violence on their learning and future. This pilot is the right strategy to better help students succeed inside and outside the classroom,” said Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, Chief Executive Officer of Baltimore City Public Schools. “From an education standpoint, preventing school-based violence provides more room for young people to focus on what’s most important – preparing for higher education and a family-sustaining career.”
Criteria for identifying host schools were based on the number of arrests, diversions, and disciplinary actions as a result of violence, including suspensions of students, the availability of a restorative specialist, and the school's capacity to support a pilot program.
The initial phase of work, including active resource referrals and student counseling, has begun as of Q4 2024. Peer leadership training, youth development opportunities, and the selection of youth ambassadors will begin in early 2025. Data and findings from the pilot schools will be evaluated before determinations about expanding the program are made. The City has secured approximately $1.1 million in funding to support this initiative including, $700,000 from Wells Fargo, $130,000 from the Casino Local Impact Fund, and $180,000 from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The National League of Cities (NLC) is providing technical assistance to help drive successful implementation of the pilot.
“The investments we make in safer schools reflect how we value our children's futures,” said Clarence E. Anthony, CEO & Executive Director of the National League of Cities. “Preparing students for the world includes designing strategies to limit their exposure to violence and developing trust in the city’s public safety system. I applaud the leadership of Mayor Scott and Baltimore City Public Schools for developing an innovative program that will further these goals and is tailored to the needs of their students.”
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