The Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) is pleased to announce that the Holton Youth and Family Center Collaborative and the UNCOM Violence Prevention Initiative have been selected to work with MCW and the VPI team to:
The VPI released its Call for Partnerships in May 2010. After undergoing a rigorous written application and oral discussion process that included both community and academic reviewers, the two partnership teams were selected. “The selected community partnership teams will bring tremendous contributions and value to creating a sustained, multifaceted approach to reducing and preventing youth violence. The VPI team looks forward to this collaborative work in youth violence prevention,” said Syed M. Ahmed, M.D., Dr.PH, Associate Dean for Public and Community Health and the Director of the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.
The Holton Youth and Family Center Collaborative (HYFCC) consists of 10 community partner organizations, with the Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. as the lead agency. HYFCC will target its efforts in Milwaukee’s Riverwest and Harambee neighborhoods.
The UNCOM Violence Prevention Initiative includes nine community partner organizations, with the United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM) as the lead agency. The UNCOM Violence Prevention Initiative efforts will target a diverse population city-wide.
The VPI has identified three major priorities for its first five years:
The VPI is funded by an award from the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program (HWPP). As a result, the VPI and its funded community partnerships are grounded by two of HWPP’s core components: the Community-MCW Academic Partnership Model and the HWPP Program Evaluation Model. Together, these components outline the rationale for, and the value of, partnership activities and the outcomes that these activities are intended to achieve. Alignment with these HWPP core components ensures that VPI-funded projects are consistent with HWPP’s overall vision and intended outcomes of improving the health of Wisconsin residents.
The funded teams, in partnership with the VPI, will likely begin work on their efforts November 1, 2010. It is expected that two additional partnership teams will be selected in year three of the current five-year funding cycle. Stay connected for more information on the VPI progress.