Restoring kids — and a community

An after-school and summer program built around the concept that kids can and want to reduce violence and improve their neighborhoods has led to lower crime rates, better upkeep on homes and more students who said they learned to resolve conflicts without violence.

The program, Youth Empowerment Solutions for Peaceful Communities, is a U-M School of Public Health case study involving seventh- and eighth-grade students at select schools in Flint—a former industrial center hard hit by the statewide decline in manufacturing jobs.

Developed by U-M SPH and the Prevention Research Center of Michigan, the program is designed to empower participants to develop and carry out neighborhood improvement and beautification projects with adult support.

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