2022 COMBAT Funding: $204,729.00

In ArtsTech's Own Words

This ArtsTech uses a multi-pronged approach to reducing/eliminating violence and substance abuse among our most troubled, at-risk youth and in identified violence “hot spot” neighborhoods. Using the evidence-based techniques identified by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)—in Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences: Leveraging the Best Available Evidence—ArtsTech seeks to prevent violence and accompanying substance abuse by providing strength-based strategies of youth development. The recommendations from the CDC's review of best practices are infused in all our youth development programming and includes culturally specific and relevant strategies based on the unique needs of the urban core and minority youth.   

This project serves 600 youth during the year, seeking to reduce violence and related crime in three ways:

1. Prevent violence and related crime among participating youth ages 13-24,

2. Prevent substance use and abuse among participating youth ages 13-24

3. Reduce violence and related crime in these “hot spot” areas.

Trauma-Informed

Intervention activities include

• Trauma-Informed Care
• restorative justice
• art therapy
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• community building

These strategies shape our actions and provide a framework for change. Changing inappropriate behavior is our main goal and utilizing fine arts and technology to deliver our programming produce significant measurable results.

Through the implementation of our anti-violence strategies, we expect to have a 20% increase in youth staying in school and graduating. We expect youth to develop a sustainable action plan for a healthier lifestyle. We expect young people to improve their marketable artistic skills and employ their entrepreneurial skills to benefit their community and themselves. We expect the five crime-ridden hot spot neighborhoods to reduce violent crime by 20%.

Addressing Key Issues

Using CDC guidelines, our program seeks to assist with the following:

• Strengthen economic support for families (jobs and entrepreneurial skills).
  
  
• Promoting social norms that protect against violence and adversity (conflict resolution, workplace skills, violence prevention, and mentoring).
  
  
• Ensure a strong start for youth (support for victims of violence, young parents, and art programming designed to empower youth and their caregivers).
  
  
• Teach skills (job skills, workplace skills, team work, project-based learning/skill building, academic support, exposure to careers and youth development).
  
  
• Connect youth to caring adults and activities (mentoring, academic/career/job coaching, youth mentoring and mentoring of influencers of youth (i.e., local rappers).
  
  
• Intervene to lessen immediate and long-term harms (Conflict resolution, supplemental income for families through youth employment, mentoring, connecting with caring adults in safe places and providing engaging STEAM and STEM activities for targeted youth).

5 Core Competencies

ArtsTech incorporates five core competencies:

1. positive sense of self
2. self-control,
3. decision-making skills,
4. a moral system of belief
5. prosocial connectedness that are linked to a healthy child/teen/young adult.

By promoting mastery of social and emotional core competencies, a connection between positive youth development and risk prevention programming is established. These core competencies are essential to our programming and activities. Youth development, counseling and anti-violence programming with participating groups impact the reduction of violence and crime in the hot spot areas identified by Jackson County COMBAT and the cycle of violence and drug use in the larger community.

Serving 600 Youth

This project serves 600 youth during the year.

Through both short- and long-term accomplishments, ArtsTech takes the extended view when visioning what accomplishments should be achieved. Using art, technology, STEAM and STEM along with caring adult mentors, this multi-pronged approach is as effective as it is unique with proven success. The unprecedented situation with COVID-19 leave area youth, already disenfranchised from extracurricular opportunities, in a virtual component and little to fuel creativity.  

ArtsTech has responded by offering STEAM and STEM both in person and virtually providing introductory classes and a pathway to ongoing art.  Staff, mentors and guest speakers provide in-person and virtual art-infused STEM/STEM opportunities. Examples include exposure to Computer Assisted Design (CAD), 3-D Printing, Coding, Simple Machines and Robotics. There are several reasons why it is important to infuse STEM/STEAM opportunities into our programming:

• Many schools are considering reducing/eliminating after school activities. This will reduce or eliminate mentoring students in interest-based out-of-classroom learning.
• These types of activities are vital to keeping youth engaged with schools as it provides real life application of learning.
• The youth who most need 21st Century skills have the least access to technology and opportunities to interact with advances in technology.
• Today’s youth need positive activities and positive uses for the technology they have.
• Due to COVID-19, youth have fewer opportunities to be mentored by caring adults.