Youth Justice Initiative Grant Programs

Artists Collective Rite of Passage-Universal Peace

The Rite of Passage – Universal Peace (ROP-UP) Program provides youth that may be at-risk of dropping out of school, have records of truancy, or are at-risk of involvement with the juvenile justice system with sequential training in the arts. Through a collaborative network of partner referrals, ROP-UP helps to re-engage young people through a supportive, yet disciplined, approach to arts instruction, performing, and visual arts workshops within the African diaspora.

For more information visit: https://www.artistscollective.org/programs/

 COMPASS Peacebuilders

COMPASS Peacebuilders is a youth violence mitigation and re-engagement program that mediates individual and group conflicts, and connects youth at risk of perpetrating or becoming a victim of violence to supports that will lead them to a more positive lifestyle. Additionally, the COMPASS Peacebuilders Crisis Response Team works in collaboration with City of Hartford Violence Prevention and Intervention Workgroup  as the CBO first responder on the Rapid Response Team, responding to incidents of gun and/or stabbing violence involving a young person, and further working to develop an immediate and coordinated response that addresses the unmet needs of the youth, their family, and the community.

For more information visit: http://www.compassyc.org/home/peacebuilders/youth-re-engagement/

Our Piece of the Pie Behind the Walls Navigator

The Pathways to Careers for Re-Entry Behind the Walls Navigator supports the reintegration of returning young people by offering comprehensive and collaborative pre-release services within the state’s correctional facilities. Post-release services are also provided upon release to support youth as they integrate back into their communities. The goals achieved prior to release (behind the walls) ensure returning citizens are connecting to a caring adult and increase their access to and awareness of community supports and services.

For more information visit: https://opp.org/programs-community/pathways-to-careers-initiative/

 Youth Ambassador

The YMCA youth ambassador role is an integral component within DFCYR’s Youth Justice focus. The Youth Ambassador provides a unique service in implementing prevention of gang activity and reducing violence for youth in Hartford. Through mentoring, engaging and referring youth at risk for violence within the City, the Youth Ambassador plays an important role in both the broad work of youth development and the highly-specialized engagement with youth victims and perpetrators of violence in our city.  

For more information visit: https://www.ghymca.org/wilsongray