Applications for this program are currently closed. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming assistance.

An Updated Plan for Reducing Youth Violence

We worked with our community partners to create a holistic plan that bring Akron together to ensure a better future for our youth.

5 Point Framework

Last year, Mayor Horrigan released his Five Point Framework for Community Violence Reduction in Akron.  The Framework builds on the work of the Youth Violence Prevention Taskforce first convened in 2016 and focuses on the key pillars of: Prevention, Intervention & Support, Enforcement, Partnership & Advocacy, and Community Accountability.

Prevention

Stop violence before it starts by providing community members with stable neighborhoods, healthy recreational opportunities, and economic hope.

Intervention & Support

Intervening in the lives of at risk individuals is critical to reducing overall community violence, and is a strategy used successfully in other communities like Akron.

Enforcement

Police and Judicial System partners areessential to keeping dangerous offenders out of our neighborhoods and cutting off networks of illegal guns, drugs, and violence. By working with the community, police can help enhance safety and reduce fear.

Partnership & Advocacy

The City cannot address this issue alone, we need strong partnerships, effective legislation, and state and national policy around reducing violence. If carry- ing illegal guns or engaging in dangerous illegal behavior does not carry significant consequences, the cycle of violence will only continue.

Community Accountability

Reducing violence will take a whole-of-Akron approach. Every citizen and stakeholder can help take ownership of the problem, and the solutions.

Our Partners in Reducing Crime

Violence, Intervention, and Prevention Grants

We are using ARPA dollars to fund numerous local community non-profits working to reduce violence in our community, rehabilitate individuals, and create opportunity for Akron's youth.

Father's and Sons NEO

$20,000

Will provide a mentoring program for fathers in order to assist them with accessing their child and building a relationship with their child. This program will provide men with fatherhood education classes & supportive services in order to build the father/child relations workshop

Keepers of the Art

$15,000

Funding will be used for microphones, headphones, sound panels, software, keyboards, and instruments for the After School Mentoring Program. Keepers of the Art will provide 15-20 youth in the community the valuable skills of music production, writing, recording and mixing, providing the opportunity to express themselves in healthy and creative ways while also obtaining skills that can be used to generate income

Akron Dreams Center

$15,000

Funding will be used to purchase microphones, headphones, sound panels, software, keyboards, and instruments for the Creative Labs Studio Program that teaches youth in the community the valuable skills of music production, writing, recording and mixing, providing the opportunity to express themselves in healthy and creative ways

Law and Leadership

$20,000

Funding will expand their mentoring & life program for 10 additional first generation college students to participate in their Law & Leadership program which will focus on life skills, and employment, enrollment, or enlistment readiness. These areas will be addressed through monthly after-school sessions and a University of Akron summer academy experience

GoalGetta Academy

$20,000

Will provide an after-school mentoring program for at risk youth ages 9-19 who have great exposures to violent crimes that have shown severe lack of motivation due to a learning disorder, or mental health challenges. Goal Getta Academy will host a Teen Career Day to expose this target population to the many job opportunities that are available based on their likes, goals, and desires

Developing Student Athletes

$20,000

Funds will be used to expand on their current mentorship program by purchasing program equipment and providing incentives for 50 students ages 6-18. Additionally, DSA will offer a Violence Prevention Partnership workshop along with a Youth Athletics Mentoring Coaching workshop

GodRich Project

$21,000

Creation of a mentoring program that coaches the youth and residents on how to use farming to grow and beautify to build a stronger community in attempt to reduce violence

Harmony House

$35,000

This grant will support a one stop fully equipped refuge that addresses all the needs of youth and young adults aged 18-26 who have been exposed to violence and are homeless or at risk for homelessness through a variety of services

Wingfoot Church

$50,000

Funding will be used to provide an after-school program called “Food, Faith and Fitness” targeting youth ages 10-14 from the Goodyear Heights neighborhood. The program will offer a bi-weekly experience from 3:00-5:00pm in cooking, exercise, and character development and conflict management skills

Always Climbing Project

$50,000

Funds will be used to further develop the Future Climbers program - an afterschool program focused on mentoring, life skills, and leadership development to prepare our youth for a successful adulthood in college, the workforce and beyond. The program will serve 25 students at Firestone Community Learning Center

He Brought Us Out Ministry

$50,000

Will expand its current wraparound services in the North Hill area to expand and support its National Night Out Against Crime Initiative, Stop the Violence Community Symposium, It's OK to Tell Initiative, and HBUO Food Pantry initiatives

Boys and Girls Club NEO

$50,000

Provides youth ages 6-18 with safe, supportive and fun spaces to spend time during the critical hours of 2:30 - 7:00 p.m as well as during the summer months

It's Not a Moment It's a Movement

$50,000

Funding will be used to implement a Youth Empowerment Mentoring Program for 15-20 APS Middle School students in each cluster. Program will offer 150 hours of youth development, peer-led facilitation, and community peace projects.

Kent State University

$50,000

Funding will be used to provide a mentoring program for 15-30 foster youth of Akron annually which will focus on life skills, and employment, enrollment, or enlistment readiness. These areas will be addressed through bi-weekly after-school sessions, monthly Saturday engagement days, and a 2-week Kent State summer academy experience held at the University

Love Akron

$50,000

Funding will provide "The Locker Room Experience", a mentorship program for 120 high school student-athletes which will focus on life skills, leadership development, and employment, enrollment, or enlistment readiness. These areas will be addressed through monthly after-school sessions, school projects, and community projects identified by the group to prevent violence

Tri-County JOGS

$50,000

Funding will allow JOGS to provide its job readiness and placement programming in a new, afterschool and summertime format at Buchtel CLC, East CLC, Garfield CLC and North High School. Funds will also provide adult and peer mentoring, community awareness and extracurricular involvement and expansion of the Work Based Learning opportunities within Akron Public Schools

Akron Zoo

$60,000

Funds will allow the Akron Zoo and ARPA VIP partners to co-deliver a youth entrepreneurship program involving 15-20 Akron-based teenagers in growing the local compost market. Students will develop and deliver a customized youth entrepreneurship curriculum, coordinate composting services for local residents or businesses

Akron AIDS Collaborative

$80,000

Provide skills training for new facilitators; provide weekly group facilitation, program materials, provide stipends, bus passes, and marketing for a community-wide awareness campaign related to the LGBTQ+ community

House of the Lord

$100,000

Funds will allow The House of the Lord to offer its Grief Recovery Method to address pain and suffering to communities impacted from the killing of a loved one. Additionally, the House of the Lord will conduct a Fugitive Safe Surrender initiative

Akron Urban League

$100,000

Will provide mentorship and life skills coaching to teens and young adults and will work alongside the Young Adult Group to identify a problem within their community, seek alternatives to address the issues, and develop a strategic plan to implement their ideas and solutions to bring about community change. Participants will also engage in 2-3 service learning activities throughout the year

Minority Behavioral Health Group

$100,000

MBHG will provide training for 15-20 minority men to obtain 3 nationally recognized certifications within the behavioral health field in order to address the targeted population of 75 at-risk youth ages 16-25 and provide mentorship & wraparound services

Wealthy Place Staffing

$100,000

Funding will select 50 individuals ages 15 to 21 and enroll into the BOSS job training program aimed at improving the social and clinical programs that affect an individual which results in criminal behavior. Mentors will be provided to these individuals for a holistic wraparound approach

AxessPointe

$100,000

Creation of a Community Health Worker position with a focus on Violence Intervention Prevention to assist with reducing violence in the community

United Way of Summit & Medina County

$125,000

Funding will allow the United Way to partner with leadership from the GAR Foundation, Akron Public Schools, Summit Education Initiative, City of Akron, families, students, local universities, and providers to collaboratively design and launch an Out of School Time Network guided by the City of Akron’s 5 Point Framework for Community Violence Reduction to increase equity and access

Project Ujima

$132,565

Facilitation of Peace Circles in the community beginning in 2023 with a focus of healing the community to reduce violence & assisting with creation of the Strategic Plan around Violence Intervention & Prevention for the City of Akron

100 Black Men

$20,000

Further enhance educational and economic opportunities for African American teens

Greenleaf

$31,000

Strengthen families in Akron through counseling, education, and support. Increasing education and support to EMT first responders and Full Term First Birthday mothers.

South Akron Youth Mentorship

$80,000

Expand mentoring services and build capacity for goal setting and relational accountability for youth mentees

Students With a Goal

$100,000

After school academic tutoring and leadership mentoring. Expanding to serve students from all parts of Akron

William's Challenge

$84,000

Multiple 6 week mentoring programs for youth who have been incarcerated at the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center.

South Street Ministries

$220,000

Re-entry program for youth.

Victim's Assistance

$250,000

Providing funding for a victim’s advocate and an attorney stationed in Summit County Domestic Violence Court to assist domestic violence victims navigate the judicial system.

Project GRAD Akron

$338,000

Mentoring and after school programming for approximately 50 students beginning in 8th grade until 12th grade at: Buchtel Community Learning Center (25 students) and East Community Learning Center (25 students) and gradually increasing this number of participants every year until 2025.

Pastoral Counseling / Red Oak

$332,000

Mentoring services to school aged youth in Akron Public Schools. Funds will provide financial support for an unfunded portion of the iCARE Mentoring program.

Hope & Healing / Battered Women's Shelter

$200,000

Hire outreach coordinators to educate the community about their services and domestic violence prevention

Alchemy Inc.

$526,000

Provide professional development to grassroots organizations that have been awarded ARPA funds to reduce violence.

Citizen Akron's Church

$200,000

Providing mentoring and after-school care for up to 100 families whose children attend Mason CLC

Fallen Father's Foundation

$200,000

Creating an Original Gangsters Mentoring Program to deter youth violence in the community. This program will also provide internships to youth to help deter violence.

Dreams Academy

$200,000

Hire personnel to expand mentoring services to young men, ages 10-15, and create a family resource center hub in Middlebury.

Guys & Gals

$200,000

Provide mentoring, job training and after school programming to 150 youth in the City of Akron.

Meet Our Youth & Community Opportunity Director

Denico Buckley-Knight, who took the position of Youth & Community Opportunity Director with the City, has worked with kids throughout his entire career. Denico will serve as the City’s staff resource for violence reduction initiatives.

Youth Violence Prevention Strategic Plan Slides

Summit County Public Health Violence Data

iC.A.R.E. Youth Mentoring Presentation

ADM Board "Deaths of Despair" Presentation

Akron Urban League Presentation