LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The city of Louisville is hosting a series of events in the hopes of bringing an end to youth violence. The Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods and other organizations announced Monday that the city will participate in National Youth Violence Prevention Week from March 28 to April 2.
The national initiative, organized by Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), is designed to raise awareness about youth violence and share prevention strategies involving every member of the community.
"Public safety is something we - the public - have to work together to create," said Mayor Greg Fischer. "That's the message we're focusing on this week."
Different events are scheduled for each day of the week. The planned schedule is listed below. Click here to learn more about each event:
- March 29: Networking Night
- March 30: Youth Panel on building a better future through violence prevention efforts
- March 31: "Let Me Speak," a mental health-focused open-mic night
- April 1: "SNAPPED," a photo voice project
- April 2: Ambassador Institute Training
In addition to these events, OSHN and KentuckianaWorks are offering a program to help young people who have been through the court system to find a career. Training in fields like manufacturing, construction and auto sales are available for people between the ages of 16 and 24. More information on the ReImage program is available here.
According to SAVE, eight children die from gun violence each day in the United States. Another 32 are injured.
The latest data from Louisville Metro Police shows that more than 41% of the city's homicide victims were under the age of 25.
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