We Keep Us Safe: Youth Violence Provention

Established in 2022, WKUS is a community safety action group and think tank led by Black creatives ages 16 - 26 to address and prevent violence in our communities. This program provides a platform for youth to discuss how community violence impacts their personal lives. Participants tap into their imagination and problem-solving skills while learning in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Through weekly meetings, site visits to expand their career horizons, and opportunities to grow their media literacy and skills as community activists and creatives, they are working to improve community safety in Pittsburgh.

Through WKUS, participants are provided with a safe space to be themselves, explore their creativity and emotions, learn ways to express themselves and communicate across differences, different platforms, and advocate for youth-led solutions. It also provides safety from many of the compounding systematic factors that contribute to community violence, like food insecurity (participants are fed during every meeting), threats of physical violence in the community or at home, economic constraints (participants receive a generous $100 stipend/meeting after the first initial meeting), and puts them in a position to learn about how systems of violence work against and influence individuals and communities.

This will be capped at 30 individuals as we move into 2025 with the new cohort.

Host or Publisher 1Hood Media