Programs

Stop the Violence offers two Community Service Programs annually: an After School Program and the Value Enhancement Program (VEP). These programs offer cultural, educational and recreational activities that are designed to give at-risk, underserved youth ages 10 – 24 an alternative to violence, gangs and graffiti through after-school programs.

The STV After-School Program is designed to give kids a positive place to go after school where they can finish their homework, have a snack and participate in a variety of activities including occasional field trips. Coordinators Kandice Edwards and Yasmin Gamez work with the participating children on a daily basis in an effort to keep them off the streets and away from potential gang activity. The program runs Monday to Thursday from 3pm to 5:30 pm at the Stop the Violence headquarters at 1017 South Owens Street.

The Value Enhancement Program (VEP) is designed for young people ages 12 to 18 years. Once a month, participants go out into the community and help with projects such as community clean-ups and graffiti cover-ups. These young people are learning practical life skills and while at the same time earning high school community service credits.

Stop the Violence also offers Aggression Replacement Training, or ART. ART is a cognitive behavioral treatment program that helps promote pro-social behavior in children and young people, competence in social skills and moral reasoning, improved anger management and reduced aggressive and criminal behavior. The ART program addresses factors that may contribute to aggression in young people, including limited interpersonal social and coping skills, impulsiveness, over-reliance on aggression, and egocentric and concrete values. Along with guided group discussions, the 10-week training program consists of three components—Skillstreaming, which teaches youth pro-social skills, anger-control training, and moral reasoning training.

For participation information on any of the Stop the Violence programs or to volunteer your services, please contact Sean Battle at spbattle@stvkern.com