OCA2021-03 - 2021 Youth Violence Prevention (YVP) Funding

Young people are witnessing their friends and loved ones die at an alarming rate due to acts of gun violence. In response, Denver is committed to ending violence among youth by merging the many efforts and resources currently available across the city, to tackle this issue more strategically. That is why Mayor Michael B. Hancock has convened the Youth Violence Prevention Action Table (YVPAT) – a conglomerate of youth, community and city leaders, to identify immediate and actionable items needed to support youth violence prevention efforts.
In partnership with YVPAT, The Office of Children’s Affairs (OCA) will serve as the anchor organization to support the strategies developed by YVPAT. These strategies are meant to be used in combination and across sectors to prevent youth violence before it starts and to support protective community environments that reduce exposure to community-level risks. Building out the local infrastructure to support these prevention strategies cannot be accomplished by city government alone. It will take a significant community-wide commitment and private public partnerships. OCA is releasing a series of funding opportunities that will support the YVPAT framework in communities where youth violence is more likely to occur.
The intent of the mini- awards is to provide: 

• Support for innovative programs that engage youth;

• Increased connection to community and caring adults;
• Support the development of social and emotional skills
• Increased involvement in pro-social activities.