BALTIMORE — This year, Baltimore City and Baltimore City Schools recognized the power of community organizations dedicated to lowering youth violence.
"Our community-based organizations are the folks that are on the ground each and every day, they know the kids, they are the credible messengers and they are the ones that can get in front of a situation before it starts," says Paris Gray, District 8 City Councilor.
Because of the success, Baltimore City and the school board created a new School-Based Violence Intervention Program.
It's a direct partnership between the schools and local youth organizations.
"Each school has been paired with community-based organizations uniquely suited to meet the needs of that school community and when we say it takes all of us to end violence in our city, we have to include Baltimore's young people," says Stefanie Marvronis, MONSE Director.
Tuesday, officials celebrated the success of the pilot program so far since it started in four schools this semester.
The schools were Mervo, Carver, Digital Harbor, and Edmondson Westside High School.
"This is really an all hands on deck situation for our young people and they have to know that we care about all of what they are dealing with and not just what's happening in the school," says Odette Ramos, District 14 city councilor.
The program teaches students conflict resolution, and how to deal with problems before they become out of control.
Each school also has student ambassadors to help with mediation inside the school.
At Digital Harbor High the year-to-date number of suspensions went from 99 to 67 and attendance went from 74% to 80%.
"This is a pilot, there is a lot to learn, there is a lot to iterate on this but the initial steps the initial phases look extremely promising," says Zac Blanchard, District 11 city councilor.
City Council President Zeke Cohen says this program can only be successful with the community's help.
"None of this can happen by itself, there is no single individual coming to save our city but it is through collaboration. It is through partnership, it is through us all rolling up our sleeves digging, and working together that we will continue to see these incredible declines in violence," says Cohen.
Starting in January, each of the four schools in the program will get eight student ambassadors, two for each grade level who will partner with the community organizations for the program.
Since the program is still in a pilot phase, they're still working to decide where and when the program will expand to other Baltimore City Schools.
