BOSTON, March 15, 2016—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz will join East Boston middle school students and engage young people from across Boston in an annual outreach program that brings law enforcement, city government, and youth service providers together in pursuit of safety for kids and teens.
“Some of the most important work we do as prosecutors takes place in a classroom, not a courtroom,” District Attorney Conley said. “Engaging young people and offering meaningful alternatives to gang-related crime is at the heart of our emphasis on prevention and intervention. National Youth Violence Prevention Week is a chance to highlight that work and the huge contributions that young people make to our city each and every day.”
“I’m thrilled to once again be a part of this event, which showcases how young people channel their incredible talents to resist and prevent violence in their schools and communities,” US Attorney Ortiz said. “Each year, I’m awed by the strength of Boston’s young people to stand up for peace and defend their right to violence-free communities. With the activism and advocacy that youth have been demonstrating, I’m sure this year will be no different!”
State and federal prosecutors will visit the Umana Barnes Middle School in East Boston on April 4 to kick off National Youth Violence Prevention Week. The Suffolk DA’s office and US Attorney’s office will team up to present a combined program encouraging positive decision-making and alternatives to violence, part of a continued focus on East Boston youth safety after two 15-year-old boys were killed there in separate incidents last fall.
Young people will have the opportunity to show off their own anti-violence campaigns: Boston students in grades K-5 will submit posters with a theme of “Youth Standing STRONG Against Violence;” grades 6-8 will enter poetry with the same theme; and high school students are invited to create hip-hop music videos with an anti-violence message. Winners will be announced at an April 7 peace rally hosted by the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College, where the Floorlords, Vine Street Dancers, and Seekers of Knowledge dance groups will perform. There will also be surprise audience-participation contests with prizes, and guest-appearances by top officials. Over 500 people attended the 2015 Peace Rally.
Prizes for the top three entries in each category include Target gift cards, Red Sox tickets, and a spotlight on JAM’N 94.5’s “Saturday Night Jump Off.” Sponsoring agencies will also receive Staples gift cards in recognition of their support.
National Youth Violence Prevention Week aims to raise awareness and to educate young people, parents, and communities as a whole, about effective ways to prevent and reduce youth violence. The campaign, which is held in cities across the country, features activities, competitions and events that bring young people together to make their schools and communities safer by using peaceful forms of self-expression.
The Boston Interagency Committee on Violence Prevention consists of representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Governor of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, City of Boston Mayor’s Office, Boston Police Department and Boston Centers for Youth & Families.
Sponsors of the event include JAM’N 94.5 Radio, Roxbury Community College, MassHousing, Crystal Rock Beverages, Boston Police Athletic/Activities League and the Youth Violence Prevention Funders Learning Collaborative.
For further information, visit www.cityofboston.gov/bcyf/programs and click on “Youth Standing Strong Against Violence,” or send an email to youthstandingstrong@yahoo.com.
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