The goal of this technical assistance initiative is to promote youth engagement in Project Safe Neighborhoods and its gang prevention and intervention efforts. PSN stakeholders and communities can learn how to empower local youth to develop strategies to address gang violence and gun crime in their community.

Training Available:

Giving Youth a Voice: Basic Principles of Youth Engagement and Leadership Development is an introductory level training designed to give criminal justice professionals enough information about youth development and youth engagement principles to be able to assess their current efforts to reach out and engage youth, refine current strategies, or begin to develop new strategies.

Trainer(s): Institute for Law and Justice Consultants
Duration: 2 hours

Youth As Leaders is a workshop presented entirely by youth, which helps adults explore the psychological barriers to leadership faced by youth as well as ways that they can help young people learn to influence their peers and community.

Trainer(s): Talented Tenth Leadership program youth consultants
Duration: 2 hours

Understanding and Engaging Youth through Hip Hop Culture examines the role that rap music plays in the lives of youth, focusing on the challenges of communicating with youth who identify with hip hop culture and values. The presentation helps participants understand how to use hip hop music and culture as a learning tool, and as a way to engage youth and inspire them to pursue their dreams.

Hip Hop to Success uses examples in hip hop to teach youth the importance of education, perseverance, excellence, skill-building and goal setting. Character education is taught by showing the importance of personal accountability and responsibility.

Trainer(s): Shawn Jackson, The Jaxsun Group
Duration: 2 hours

Technical Assistance Approach:

• On-site information and training on youth engagement principles and concepts
• On-site TA on planning for replication or development of new strategies to engage youth in gang prevention
• Additional assistance as necessary to assist in replication or implementation of youth engagement issues
  

ILJ will use a Strategic Action Planning (SAP) model to deliver TA under this initiative. The following components are:

Planning

• Interviews with PSN coordinator and key stakeholders in district or focus area to assess training and TA needs
• Research on community assets, including local youth serving organizations
• Development of a TA plan (collaboratively with the district)
• Assistance in identifying appropriate stakeholders and a venue for on-site TA
  

Implementation

• On-site visit to:
  
• Provide training on youth engagement and or/a specific youth engagement strategy
• Facilitate strategic planning with stakeholders about replicating a particular model or strategy or developing a local strategy
• Network PSN stakeholders with other community-based youth serving resources
• Additional on-site training and TA on replication of particular strategy

Follow Up

• Follow up TA to address implementation challenges
  

Contact ILJ to Request Training and TA:
Complete the Technical and Training Assitance Request Form and submit it by email to Marti Kovener: marti.kovener@ilj.org

For questions or more information regarding training and technical assistance, please contact Marti Kovener at 703-684-5300 x111