ArtsTech’s Integrated Arts and Tech Violence Prevention Program uses the power of creativity, culture, and connection to prevent violence and substance abuse among youth in Kansas City’s most affected neighborhoods. Combining evidence-based practices with structured art, technology, mentoring, and wraparound support, this program engages young people where they are—emotionally, culturally, and developmentally—and gives them the tools to envision and build a safer, healthier future.

A Multilayered Approach To Youth Violence Prevention

Drawing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report "Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence (2019)," ArtsTech takes a six-pronged, strength-based approach to youth development, particularly for young people living in high-risk zip codes and neighborhoods identified as violence "hotspots."

Key strategies include:

1. Strengthening families economically – offering job readiness training and entrepreneurial skill-building.
2. Promoting positive social norms – through conflict resolution, mentoring, restorative justice practices, and workplace skills.
3. Ensuring a strong start – by supporting young parents and providing early arts-based enrichment to children and families impacted by violence.
4. Teaching life and career skills – including project-based learning, academic support, job coaching, and teamwork.
5. Connecting youth to caring adults – through mentoring, leadership development, and partnerships with trusted community figures.
6. Providing intervention and healing – via trauma-informed care, therapy, and safe, engaging programming like STEAM activities, arts therapy, and social media intervention.

Through these strategies, the program serves approximately 500 youth annually, equipping them with the resilience, relationships, and resources they need to avoid violence and thrive.

Meeting Urgent Needs In A Crisis Environment

Kansas City continues to face a youth violence crisis. In 2022, the city ranked 5th in the nation for homicide rates, with nearly 8 homicides per 100,000 residents in the final quarter alone. This epidemic disproportionately affects Black and Latino young men, for whom gun violence is the leading cause of death under age 55 and 34, respectively.

Beyond homicides, thousands more youth experience trauma from violence, bullying, and unstable environments every year. Many face challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, homelessness, mental health issues, and family instability—all of which were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. ArtsTech’s approach meets these complex realities with compassion and cultural relevance.

Art & Technology As Tools For Transformation

ArtsTech uses creative expression as a foundation for healing and connection. Through art studios, digital media labs, fiber arts, and tech clubs, youth explore music, photography, sculpture, painting, drama, and digital storytelling. These outlets help participants:

• Express and process trauma
• Build self-confidence and identity
• Practice communication and conflict resolution
• Engage in collaborative, prosocial activities

Programs like Project Respeto, Fiber Arts, Splash Mobs, Growing Stronger Longer #2080, TNT, and the Youth Health Institute blend creativity with emotional wellness, public health education, and peer mentorship. Activities are designed to be both therapeutic and skill-building, helping youth envision alternative futures while staying connected to trusted adults and role models.

Mentorship, Wraparound Care & Prevention

Mentorship is central to the program’s success. Youth are paired with mentors, job coaches, or peer leaders who guide them in both life skills and emotional resilience. These relationships reduce isolation and increase accountability—key protective factors against violence and risky behavior.

In addition, the program provides wraparound support for families impacted by violence, including those grieving the loss of loved ones to homicide or suicide. ArtsTech incorporates trauma-informed practices, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and restorative justice approaches to build trust, process grief, and restore a sense of safety and community.

Responding To The Digital Age: Social Media Intervention

Recognizing the role of social media in youth dynamics, ArtsTech plans to launch a Social Media Interventionist role. This position will monitor and engage youth online to help prevent cyberbullying, gang recruitment, and online conflicts—while also promoting positive, constructive digital content. This innovation aims to shift the narrative and use digital platforms as tools for prevention and connection.

Evidence-Based & Culturally Relevant

Youth violence is not equally distributed—it disproportionately impacts Black, Latino, and low-income youth. The CDC reports that non-Hispanic Black youth have faced the highest youth homicide rates for more than three decades, and similar disparities exist in exposure to violence and trauma. ArtsTech’s programming is culturally tailored to reflect the identities and lived experiences of the young people it serves—particularly African-American young men in urban core communities.

Research supports the effectiveness of ArtsTech’s model. The CDC and American Psychologist journal highlight that the most effective youth violence prevention (YVP) programs:

• Foster interactive youth participation
• Engage families and schools
• Provide mentorship and skill-building
• Use culturally relevant and engaging content
• Offer long-term involvement opportunities

Arts-based programs are especially effective for trauma-impacted youth. They support mental health, emotional regulation, social connection, and a sense of purpose—all of which are known to reduce violent behavior and improve overall well-being.

Creating A Safer, Healthier Future

By combining the arts, technology, and proven prevention strategies, ArtsTech offers youth a new path—one grounded in creativity, accountability, and hope. Whether it’s through job training, mural-making, restorative circles, or digital storytelling, young people learn that they matter, their voices are powerful, and their futures can be different from their pasts.

ArtsTech’s Integrated Arts and Tech Violence Prevention Program is not only reducing violence today—it is building the skills, relationships, and community infrastructure needed to create lasting change. 

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.