Active Plus Awarded Funding to Launch NYCHA Heal-The-Violence Series

It’s an honor to announce that Active Plus has been awarded special funding from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to implement the Heal-the-Violence initiative. Heal-the-Violence is an 8-week youth educational program located in King Towers. The overall goal of this program is to create safe and healthy communities by changing community norms around violence and reducing the number of violent acts that occur.

Through this workshop series, Active Plus will provide education and instruction around different tools that youth and young adults can use to serve as leaders and activists against violence within their communities. Young adults, ages 14 to 24, who partake in this program will participate in Healing Circles, Asset Mapping, Community Engagement, a Violence Responses course, as well as Yoga and Meditation. 

The program is expected to take place from November 2021 to the end of December. Weekly programming will consist of two 2-hour educational sessions, 1-hour of yoga instruction, and 1-hour of mindfulness practice. Upon successful completion of the full 8 weeks, all students will be given a stipend. 

As of December 2021, a total of 25 families are enrolled in person and virtually.

Our students are given a safe space to share their thoughts, feelings, and concerns both on zoom and in person. We’re working hard to be receptive to the needs of our students and their families in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. 

Thus far, we’ve introduced the foundations of restorative practices and community building, along with conducting a kindness workshop. Most recently, our students have been focused on self-awareness, self-regulating emotions, and how to express gratitude through their actions.