Knoxville City Council made a significant move towards supporting local youth and preventing violence by approving two funding requests totaling $247,942 on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The funds, allocated to the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment (OCSE), aim to assist community organizations targeting opportunity youth—those at the highest risk of violence—and to promote youth violence prevention.
A substantial portion of the funding, amounting to $220,200, will be distributed among ten groups under the Opportunity Youth Program. This initiative seeks to offer job opportunities and activities for young people aged 16-24 who are most at risk for violence. Since its inception in 2021, the program has expanded to include spring, summer, and fall sessions, offering more extensive engagement opportunities for youth.
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Star Starks, the Partnerships & Programs Coordinator for the OCSE, highlighted the program’s evolution, noting the increased flexibility for organizations to offer programming throughout the year. A new feature of this year’s grants is the direct work with justice-involved youth referred by Knox County Juvenile Court, aiming to connect these higher-risk individuals with jobs and other opportunities.
The beneficiaries of the Spring-Fall 2024 Opportunity Youth Grants include Battlefield Farms, The Bottom, Centro Hispano, Karate Five Association, Knoxville Area Urban League, KCDC Family Investment Foundation, Knoxville Community Media, My Daughters Journey, Two Bikes, and The Verb Kind, with grants ranging from $11,250 to $35,670.
Additionally, $27,742 has been allocated to ten groups through the Youth Violence Prevention Week Microgrant program. These funds are intended for programming, events, and campaigns during Youth Violence Prevention Week, April 22-26, 2024, focusing on reducing various forms of youth violence. Recipients of this microgrant include Change Center, Drums Up Guns Down, The Edge Foundation, Karate Five Association, Knoxville Area Urban League, Metro Drug Coalition, My Daughters Journey, Renounce Denounce, Turn Up Knox, and YWCA.
These grants were awarded through a competitive process, reviewed by committees before receiving final approval from staff. Since 2021, the City of Knoxville has invested nearly $629,000 in grant funding to support youth engagement activities, benefiting nearly 1,400 youth during the spring and summer months.
The Office of Community Safety and Empowerment, responsible for leading violence interruption strategies and enhancing partnerships to improve safety in Knoxville, continues to provide resources and support for local organizations. For more information on available grants and other activities of the OCSE, visit the official website at KnoxvilleTN.gov/CommunitySafety.
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