December 2024 Newsletter Blog Posts
Partnerships — A Lifeline for Community Violence Prevention and Intervention
As the winter break approaches, many of us in the out-of-school time (OST) field are looking forward to some well-earned rest. While this season offers a chance to recharge, the break in programming is also an opportunity to reflect. How can we sustain our efforts — and ourselves — by leaning on partnerships?
You’re Not Alone in This Work
The recent “Introduction to Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Strategies” webinar reinforced a powerful message: OST professionals play an important role in minimizing and responding to community violence, but we don’t do this work alone. Partnerships are central to effective community violence prevention. Collaborating with schools, nonprofits, and other agencies allows us to amplify our impact and share the load.
As Dr. Candace Ferguson, project director for the 21st CCLC NTAC, noted: “Partnerships are really at the cornerstone of what we do in education …. We’re all working with and for the same students, the same families, and the same communities.”
Building and Sustaining Partnerships
Strong partnerships require effort but yield immense benefits. Lesley Rivers, program coordinator at ACT Now, an afterschool coalition in Illinois, emphasized: “Learn the systems and protocols that are already in place and adapt them to your program,” keeping as much consistency as possible between the school day and afterschool.
This sentiment is echoed by the work of Lubbock Independent School District, which has fostered a network of partnerships to address the holistic needs of its students and families. As Coordinator of Research and Innovation Dr. Lane Sobehrad shared, “Our district motto is to develop, nurture, and inspire every child every day. So what our Superintendent has asked us to do whenever we have a new idea is always ask ourselves, how does this help kids? How does this help our teachers? How does this help our families? So we keep that as our North Star.” This guiding principle has driven their collaboration with “Communities in Schools of the South Plains,” which is an organization that helps students and their families access important resources and supports students’ success, and is present in all 45 of the district’s schools. These site coordinators “help refer students and families to social services, connect them with other nonprofits like the Food Bank or SNAP, and provide additional support for students.” Partnerships like these not only address immediate needs but also ensure students receive the services they deserve, especially in the face of ongoing educator and counselor shortages.
Engaging the Community
Partnerships thrive when they include the voices of those most affected. Out-of-school time programs can “engage community members who have experienced violence, including the youth, because we want them to be part of the prevention, planning, implementation, and evaluation process,” Michelle Owens, partnership and technical assistance liaison for the 21st CCLC NTAC, explained.
This means fostering safe spaces for youth and families to share their experiences, avoiding re-traumatization, and involving affected individuals in solutions. Owens noted that youth “may not call it ‘structural and systemic injustice,’ but … they’re constantly feeling what is happening,” so their voices should be included in prevention and intervention strategies.
Heading Into the Holidays with Hope
Addressing community violence can feel overwhelming, but as Ferguson summarized, “It’s all of our collective responsibility to move this work forward” — and partnerships are the way.
This holiday season, take time to rest and reflect. Remember, you’re part of a larger ecosystem working to create safe, supportive environments for our youth. Let’s enter the new year with renewed commitment to collaboration, resilience, and hope.
