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| COMBAT-Supported Youth Teen-Dating Violence Prevention Programs |
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FosterAdopt Community Connections Youth Project
Community Connections Youth Thrive (CCYT) is a comprehensive program offered by FosterAdopt Connect, designed to meet the complex needs of youth aging out of the foster care system in Jackson County, Missouri. Building on the former Community Connections Youth Project, CCYT provides consistent adult guidance through dedicated specialists who help youth access vital resources including stable housing, education, and employment opportunities. CCYT goes beyond traditional support by offering practical services such as driving lessons to increase mobility and independence, as well as legal assistance to help youth understand and protect their rights. This holistic approach equips young adults with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the challenges of transitioning to adulthood successfully. In Jackson County, approximately 684 youth aged out of foster care in 2022 without permanent placements, facing significant barriers to independence.
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Guadalupe Centers Life Skills Prevention Program
The Guadalupe Center, Inc. (GCI) offers a comprehensive Life Skills Program designed to support adolescents as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Central to this program are two evidence-based curricula: Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence and Pathways to Resilience. Together, these programs provide young people with essential social, emotional, and personal skills that help them overcome adversity, make healthy choices, and build stronger connections within their communities. This evidence-based curriculum helps students understand risk factors while promoting protective behaviors that support positive development. Complementing this, Pathways to Resilience focuses on strengthening the ability of teens and young adults to "bounce back" from challenges—known as resilience. This curriculum guides youth in developing coping strategies that are practical and relevant to their everyday lives, empowering them to face difficult situations with confidence and hope.
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High Aspirations
High Aspirations is a vibrant mentoring program dedicated to supporting African American males ages 8 to 18 living in Kansas City’s urban core. Operating every Saturday, High Aspirations provides structured and engaging sessions designed to build leadership skills, self-confidence, and positive community involvement. The program actively addresses educational disparities, economic challenges, and community safety concerns facing Black youth in the area. Each Saturday, with guidance from a program specialist, interns, a Concerned Mothers Group, mentors, and community volunteers, High Aspirations hosts two one-hour sessions serving more than 70 boys per session.
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Rose Brooks Project Safe
Project SAFE is a comprehensive violence prevention program operating in 11 schools across three school districts: Kansas City Public Schools, Center School District, and Grandview C-4 School District. Supported by COMBAT funding, Project SAFE is uniquely delivered on-site during the school day, making it accessible to the students who need it most. Project SAFE integrates directly into the daily schedules of participating schools, providing consistent and meaningful support to youth from pre-kindergarten through high school. For the youngest learners, Project SAFE offers weekly presentations and workshops tailored to the entire classroom. These sessions are incorporated into the school day curriculum and led by Project SAFE staff, while teachers reinforce the lessons between sessions. This early intervention helps lay a foundation of emotional awareness, conflict resolution, and positive social skills from the very start of a child’s education.
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Youth Ambassadors
Youth Ambassadors (YA) is a dynamic program serving Greater Kansas City youth ages 14 to 18. Grounded in strengths-based principles, YA combines social-emotional learning, trauma healing, and violence prevention to help young people overcome significant challenges and become leaders in their communities. By providing specialized training in life skills, job readiness, health, entrepreneurship, community development, and creative expression, YA equips youth to thrive both personally and professionally. Mental health services are embedded into the program, offering free, onsite therapy as a vital support. Youth in Jackson County’s urban neighborhoods face deep and persistent hardships. These include poverty, community violence, food insecurity, underfunded infrastructure, and high rates of unemployment and incarceration within families. These conditions create an environment where youth are exposed to trauma and limited access to the support they need.
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Violence Prevention Programs