Center for Youth Equity (CYE) at Tulane University: A Community-Centered Approach to Youth Violence Prevention

CYE PROJECT SUMMARY: This proposal responds to RFA-CE-21-005 and establishes the first CDC- funded Prevention Research Center in the Gulf South explicitly focused on youth violence prevention. The scientific premise of the proposed Center for Youth Equity (CYE) is that the complex nature of youth violence is

embedded in historical and current structural racism and its impact. The root causes and disproportionate rates of youth violence in African American (AA) communities are shaped by the need for community-centered, strengths-based approaches that address critical barriers to prevention, including: (1) the interconnectedness

of youth violence and systemic racism, and lack of cohesive strategies that capitalize on the inherent energy and insights of youth, (2) the lack of strong community-centered approaches in which youth and community organizations with deep knowledge and understanding of systemic racism and violence participate in the

creation of solutions, and (3) the paucity of comprehensive harm reduction approaches to reduce gun violence amongst youth. The objective of the CYE is to address these barriers through a long-term, transdisciplinary effort that centers equity and supporting infrastructure, including Administrative, Research, Outreach &

Translation, and Education & Training Cores. Our overall aims are: (1) to establish a culturally responsive youth violence prevention research center embedded within the ongoing community partnerships and existing infrastructure of the Tulane University Violence Prevention Institute (VPI) to build and strengthen the network

for youth violence prevention in the Gulf South; (2) to adapt, implement, and evaluate a multicomponent sociopolitical development enrichment and empowerment program to prevent and reduce exposure to police violence among younger AA youth (10-17-years) through youth-led grassroots organizing and activism for

social and structural change; (3) to evaluate the effects of a hospital-initiated, community-integrated practice- based approach in reducing gun violence among older youth (18-24-years); (4) to translate the evidence base for community youth violence prevention strategies into widespread outreach and dissemination efforts; and (5)

to develop innovative and transdisciplinary educational and training opportunities for early career and junior scholars and professionals aimed at developing and sustaining a workforce well-positioned to impact youth violence prevention efforts locally, regionally, and nationally. The mission of the CYE is to serve as a hub for

innovative research, community-engaged outreach and translation, and cutting-edge training and education in youth violence and injury prevention nationally, locally, and throughout the Gulf South region.