Affirming YOUth Foundation, with generous support from the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is proud to announce a new comprehensive, school-based, multiagency, multi-sectoral collaboration designed to address school violence.
OJJDP awarded Affirming YOUth Foundation (AYF) $1,00,000.00, over three years, for its innovative Affirming Youth Family Neighborhood School Partnership (AYFNSP). AYFNSP builds and strengthens partnerships between schools and community-based organizations so that families and school staff have more chances to work together to help students succeed.
AYF has a track record of putting into place evidence-based, community-participatory intervention programs that prevent and reduce school violence and improve school climate and safety.
“This award will enable us to utilize human-centered design to co-create comprehensive strategies with youth as the design and solution drivers,” said Jonathan Spikes, Founder and Executive Director of Affirming YOUth. “The community will help these young people come up with a comprehensive plan to reduce, stop, and lessen the effects of violence.”
Organizations working in partnership with Affirming Youth Foundation, Inc., to provide services include Florida International University – The Education Effect and Belafonte Tacolcy Center. “We are appreciative to be able to collaborate with Affirming Youth through this initiative,” said Shownda Pagan, CEO of Belafonte Tacolcy Center. “I’m sure that this initiative will strengthen families and improve service delivery for youth and families so that every young person is healthy, safe, involved, and cared for.”