Preventing Youth Violence Where It Matters Most

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. Unlike after-school programs, Project SAFE integrates directly into the daily schedules of participating schools, providing consistent and meaningful support to youth from pre-kindergarten through high school.

On-Site Support For Students At Every Stage

For the youngest learners—pre-K and kindergarten students—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.

For elementary, middle, and high school students, Project SAFE provides weekly support groups designed specifically for youth identified as high-risk for exposure to violence. Students join these groups through referrals from school staff, counselors, or through self-referral. Elementary groups meet consistently for 30 minutes each week to fit within the school day, while middle and high school groups rotate session times so students do not repeatedly miss the same academic class. These groups offer a safe space for students to connect, share experiences, and learn coping skills.

Addressing The Reality Of Violence In Kansas City’s Youth

Children and young adults in Jackson County face alarming levels of violence and trauma, particularly in high-crime neighborhoods with limited resources. Research shows that youth violence results from a complex mix of personal, family, community, and societal factors—including exposure to violence at home and in their neighborhoods.

Project SAFE is the most comprehensive in-school violence prevention program in Kansas City and has served over 52,500 children and young adults since its inception. It is likely that the presence of Project SAFE has helped shape safer communities, altering crime patterns in ways that may not be fully captured by statistics.

Students in Project SAFE groups often witness violence directly or hear gunshots in their neighborhoods. Many experience trauma linked to domestic violence in their homes or those of relatives. Public schools serving these communities face immense challenges, including insufficient supportive resources and high turnover rates for counselors and social workers. Even when counselors are available, their time is stretched thin with administrative responsibilities and academic support duties, leaving gaps in addressing the emotional and behavioral needs of students affected by violence.

Building Protective Factors To Break The Cycle

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights that protective factors—such as strong school commitment, positive peer relationships, involvement in prosocial activities, and connections to caring adults—can significantly reduce youth violence. Project SAFE intentionally creates these protective environments within schools, providing safe spaces where students learn how to manage difficult emotions like anger, grief, and frustration without resorting to violence.

The program teaches essential skills such as effective communication, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. These lessons align with many Kansas City schools’ restorative discipline approaches, offering alternatives to suspension that foster responsibility and accountability among students.

Unique Expertise

Unlike many youth programs, Project SAFE benefits from Rose Brooks Center’s extensive training in domestic violence dynamics. Staff are specially prepared to address issues of domestic, dating, and family violence in ways that are appropriate for different age groups. This expertise is critical, as exposure to domestic violence is widespread among the youth served. Project SAFE helps young people recognize unhealthy or controlling relationship behaviors and learn the foundations of healthy relationships.

Community Alignment

The vision of Project SAFE reflects Rose Brooks Center’s broader goal of a world free from violence. By focusing on violence prevention among youth—often the most vulnerable population—Project SAFE contributes to this vision by providing tools that promote safety, healthy relationships, and peaceful conflict resolution.

COMBAT funding supports Project SAFE’s alignment with Jackson County’s community violence reduction goals by offering prevention services within schools, consistent with COMBAT’s focus on Community, Prevention, Treatment, and Justice. The program follows the CDC’s four-level social-ecological framework, addressing individual, relationship, community, and societal factors to reduce violence comprehensively.

Measurable Outcomes & Lasting Connections

Project SAFE reaches approximately 400 students annually in hotspot neighborhoods, helping them develop safety awareness, emotional regulation, and positive responses to conflict. The program’s year-long weekly groups foster strong bonds among students, many of whom have experienced isolation or abandonment. These relationships, along with trusted adult Prevention Specialists, provide ongoing support that extends beyond the program’s formal sessions.

Students often report that Project SAFE is their only safe space, a place where they can learn and practice vital skills. The group environment encourages peer support and friendship, contributing to improved decision-making and emotional health. Some students maintain contact with their Prevention Specialists years later, seeking advice and sharing life updates.

Research shows that participation in programs like Project SAFE improves academic performance and social-emotional development, which can have lasting positive effects on a child’s life and community.

Early Childhood Prevention For Lifelong Benefits

At the preschool level, Project SAFE’s Early Education Prevention Specialist works closely with classrooms throughout the school year, teaching young children to identify and manage emotions in age-appropriate ways. Teachers have observed these lessons improve classroom behavior and peer interactions, with children applying these skills on the playground and beyond.

The World Health Organization recognizes such early intervention as critical in violence prevention. Project SAFE’s focus on life skills, social development, and therapeutic support aligns with best practices for reducing aggression and promoting healthy development from an early age.

Continuous Improvement Through Student Feedback

Project SAFE values student voices. At the end of each school year, participants complete surveys sharing which lessons were most impactful, how they learn best, and what topics they would like to explore further. This feedback shapes future programming, ensuring that the program evolves to meet the needs of the students it serves.

Creating Safer Futures for Kansas City Youth

Project SAFE stands as a powerful, evidence-based program uniquely embedded within schools to confront the complex realities of youth violence in Kansas City. Through trauma-informed, culturally aware support and prevention services delivered during the school day, Project SAFE equips children and teens with the tools to break the cycle of violence, build resilience, and foster healthy relationships.

By investing in young people where they learn and grow, Project SAFE not only improves individual lives but also strengthens communities, paving the way toward a safer, healthier future for all.

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.

Rose Brooks Center shelter location is not published as a security measure.