General

The Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities (PSPC) and the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA) hosted an intimate reception and site visit for the Department of Justice on Thursday, April 4, 2024 following the 2024 CVIPI Grantee Conference. Guests were guided through the newly-opened space, while mixing and mingling with other professionals in the community violence intervention (CVI) field.

Overheard at the 2024 CVIPI Grantee Conference Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI) and Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) were present at the 2024 Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) Grantee Conference which took place from April 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. The four-day event provided the opportunity for community violence intervention (CVI)…

‘I Wanted to Change the Narrative’: How One Outreach Worker Transformed His Life There’s something to be said about an individual who has the self-determination to change their circumstances, despite old habits or outside influences. One who doesn’t necessarily wait for the perfect time to change course, or for things to get “bad enough.” Instead,…

WATCH NOW: MPI Executive Director Vaughn Bryant Talks Chicago Public Safety With WTTW WTTW News hosted the latest installment of its live panel series entitled “VOICES: A WTTW News Community Conversation” on Monday, March 25, 2024 as an opportunity to discuss Chicago crime, violence, and public safety with key figures in the community violence intervention…

The Resilience of Noah White: Moments of Tragedy Turn into a Lifetime of Purpose March 11, 2006 is a day Noah White will never forget. A day when the world as he knew it came crashing down. The day started out bright enough, a then seven-year-old Noah was surrounded by family and friends at his…

DOJ Visits Metropolitan Peace Academy, Looks to Future of Community Violence Intervention Work The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) made an early morning site visit to the Metropolitan Peace Academy (MPA) Training & Wellness Center in Pilsen on Friday, March 15, 2024. The purpose of the meeting and subsequent tour was to give an…

‘Movie at the Park’ Brings Film Favorites to Back of the Yards Neighborhood Disney’s Big Hero 6 was the feature film of the evening at the latest installment of Movie at the Park, an event series hosted by the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council (BYNC) in partnership with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago (INVC)….

Target Area Development Hosts Black History Family Feud Night History enthusiasts and game show aficionados dusted off their memorized facts to participate in a Family Feud night hosted by Target Area Development at Lindblom Park. This event was part of Light in the Night, a Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) program aimed at reclaiming public…

Chicago Gun Violence Survivors Pen Their Own Stories For Personal Essay Series The Chicago Sun-Times and The Trace pulled back the curtain on their joint publication of “Chicago Stories of Survival,” an essay series detailing the personal experiences of gun violence across the city. The outlets hosted a pair of panel discussions at The Impact…

UCAN Celebrates Black History Month With HBCU-Themed Programming The celebration of Black History Month was in full swing as UCAN helped host “The HBCU Experience,” a program in partnership with Family Focus and the Chicago Park District. The event took place on Thursday, February 22, 2024 at the Homan Square Community Center in North Lawndale…