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Governor’s Community Service and Civic Engagement Program

On June 9, 2006, the Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) and the Department of Criminal Justice Services announced the availability of mini-grants under the Governor’s Youth Community Service and Civic Engagement Program. This program supports community-based initiatives that provide youth who are at risk for gang involvement with opportunities to perform meaningful service to their communities. Funded projects use a positive youth development approach to prevention that emphasizes youth as resources and contributors to their community rather than as problems and as only recipients of services youth as resources to their communities. Community service provides a programmatic vehicle for providing youth with opportunities to develop competence, confidence, connections, character, and caring – the 5 C’s for positive development.

Eligible applicants were local units of government; however, other public and community-based organizations, including faith-based organizations, and private non-profit entities, could conduct projects under contract with a local unit of government. Localities submitted applications for funding that were reviewed by members of Virginia ’s Interagency Anti-Gang Workgroup. Grants are administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and are supported by federal funds from the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. A 16.67 % non-federal cash match is required for each grant year.

The original grants were awarded on a competitive basis. Twenty-four (24) Virginia localities were awarded funding to implement projects that engage youth at risk of gang involvement in meaningful community service. Funded projects use a variety of creative approaches reflecting broad community support and exemplifying effective collaboration. Mini-grants are awarded for a one-year period. After the initial award year, grants may apply for a continuation for a second and third year.

Awardees of the Governor’s Community Service and Civic Engagement Program - 2006-2007

The grant period for the first award year was from December 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007.

Go to list of 2007-2008 awards.

Localities Served 2007 Projects Collaborating Organization Examples of Community Service Sites
Albemarle County Teens GIVE Gang Prevention Program Teens GIVE Meals on Wheels; MS Society; Ronald McDonald House
Amherst County Building "Community" in Old Madison Heights Alliance for Families and Children Old Madison Heights neighborhood
Augusta County Summer Youth Corps Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Boys & Girls Club; Ride With Pride; Augusta County Library, Community Child Care; Stuarts Draft Kiwanis Ball Park; Arc (Association for Retarded Citizens) of Augusta; Augusta Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center; Nelson Street Teen Center
Brunswick County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association The Improvement Association; Brunswick County
Buckingham County VOICE 2 Buckingham County Public Schools Dillwyn Elementary; Gene Dixon Ball Park; Buckingham Library; Heritage Acres Apartments
City of Charlottesville Teens GIVE Gang Prevention Program Teens GIVE MS Society; Meals on Wheels; Heritage Hall Nursing Home; Free Speech Monument Cleaning; Trinity Child Care Center; Ronald McDonald House; SPCA
Dinwiddie County "Youth Connections" Office of Comprehensive Services Azzie Manor Residence; Dinwiddie HS; Busin, Feed the Hungry and H4H; SAA; Holocaust Museum; Lafayette House; Angel's at Play Day Care; Ft. Lee Quartermaster; District 19; Riverside Jail
City of Emporia Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association The Improvement Association and City of Emporia
Greensville County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association The Improvement Association and Greensville County
City of Harrisonburg Club Service Boys and Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County Boys and Girls Club; "National Night Out"
Isle of Wight County 4-H Smart Choices Leadership Program Virginia Cooperative Extension Jersey Park community
Loudoun County Prevention and Community Outreach Services Loudoun County Community Services Board Loudoun County Animal Shelter; Sully Elementary; Mentoring Program; Environmental Mural Project; Loudoun County Animal Shelter; fundraising event.
City of Manassas Park Leaders in Training (L.I.T.) Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation City of Manassas Park/Costello Park; Valentine's for Veterans; Voluntary Action Center; South County Teen Center
Mathews County Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach Boys and Girls Clubs of Matthews Dragon Run; RVUC Rally; Mathews Boys & Girls Club; Mathews Youth Alliance; Hands Across Mathews; Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Haley's Mill Homeowner's Association; clothing drive as MBGC
City of Newport News Targeted Outreach Service Learning Newport News Dept. of Libraries and Information Services, Alternatives, Inc., and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula Youth designed and ran field day for low-income youth
City of Norfolk Prepare Until Success Happens (P.U.S.H.) Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Norfolk Public Schools Norfolk SPCA; Botanical Gardens; Forkids; Norfolk Environmental Commission; Project Light; Virginia Zoo; Hi-5 reading program
City of Petersburg Operation Diamond: Project Polish Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney City of Petersburg
City of Roanoke Service Learning Academy City of Roanoke, Virginia Juvenile Justice Services (Youth Haven) Youth participation in planning local community events; garbage removal in the local parks on several weekends during this quarter and provided clean up services for the Local Colors Festival and the Strawberry Festival; Relay for Life Bake Sale; Youth Haven; Sanctuary
City of Staunton Project RESTORE (Revitalizing Existing Structures Teaching Ownership, Respect, and Empowerment) Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Staunton Parks and Recreation; Nelson Street Teen Center; SPOKES
City of Suffolk Suffolk Community Service Initiative (CSI) City of Suffolk Office on Youth Suffolk Dept. of Fire and Rescue; Center for Hope and New Beginnings; Downtown Suffolk; Constant's Wharf Park
Surry County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association The Improvement Association; Surry County
Sussex County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association The Improvement Association; Sussex County
City of Waynesboro Summer Community Corps Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Waynesboro Boys and Girls Club; Waynesboro Library; Kate Collins Middle School (project designed as summer experience)
Wythe County Youth Community in Service Together Wythe County Gang Prevention Task Force and Southwest Virginia Counseling and Psychological Services Wythe County

Awardees of the Governor’s Community Service and Civic Engagement Program - 2007-2008

The grant period for the second award year was from January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008. Nineteen of the original awardees were granted funding for continuation.

Localities Served 2008 Projects Collaborating Organization Project Description
Albemarle County Teens GIVE Gang Prevention Program Teens GIVE and the Charlottesville/ Albemarle Commission on Children and Families Teens GIVE, an award winning service learning program, will offer youth the opportunity to improve their lives by showing them that they can make a difference and promote change in their community.
Amherst County Building Community in Amherst Alliance for Families and Children Project expands collaboration to work with the most at-risk youth for gang activity in the entire county, the students at the Monroe Alternative Education Center. The "Teens, Crime and the Community" curriculum is used to first teach participants about the law, impact of crime, and community solutions. That foundation serves as the springboard for the youth to choose a community service project. 15-30 youth will complete the curriculum with approximately 450 additional youth and families impacted by the project.
Augusta County Youth Corps Community Service Central Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Youth Corps is an employment training and character development program for at-risk youth ages 14-16. Youth Corps offers two eleven week sessions in the fall and spring and an eight week summer session. Youth work 6-8 hours per week at various job sites in the community. Approximately every other week, youth will participate in a community service day, totaling 15 community service days to be offered over the course of the three sessions (average of 5 per session). Youth will learn that they contribute to their community by working at places of business and by volunteering at community-serving organizations.
Brunswick County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in youth Project P.L.E.A.D.'s mission is to provide opportunities for youth ages 14-19 years old to engage in community service bringing them into closer contact with their community and increasing their civic engagement. Project P.L.E.A.D. is designed for youth to effectively develop service as a way to contribute to their community through three phases; preparing youth with knowledge and skills they will need for community service, performing service in the community, and reflecting and evaluating their experiences.
Buckingham County VOICE 2 Buckingham County Public Schools To provide a meaningful experience to at risk youth via placement in volunteer community service in businesses, agencies and organizations in the community. Students will be matched to job placement site appropriate to students interest. Students will be viewed as resources rather than problems and the placements will be for developmental rather than punitive purposes.
City of Charlottesville Teens GIVE Gang Prevention Program Teens GIVE Teens GIVE, an award winning service learning program, will offer youth the opportunity to improve their lives by showing them that they can make a difference and promote change in their community.
City of Emporia Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in youth Project P.L.E.A.D.'s mission is to provide opportunities for youth ages 14-19 years old to engage in community service bringing them into closer contact with their community and increasing their civic engagement. Project P.L.E.A.D. is designed for youth to effectively develop service as a way to contribute to their community through three phases; preparing youth with knowledge and skills they will need for community service, performing service in the community, and reflecting and evaluating their experiences.
Greensville County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in youth Project P.L.E.A.D.'s mission is to provide opportunities for youth ages 14-19 years old to engage in community service bringing them into closer contact with their community and increasing their civic engagement. Project P.L.E.A.D. is designed for youth to effectively develop service as a way to contribute to their community through three phases; preparing youth with knowledge and skills they will need for community service, performing service in the community, and reflecting and evaluating their experiences.
City of Harrisonburg Club Service Boys and Girls Clubs of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, 26th District Juvenile Court, James Madison University Center for Service Learning, and MentorMatch Collaborating organizations will facilitate YouthWorks mentoring and service-learning experiences each Saturday for 100 gang-vulnerable middle and high school age youth, including 40 court diverted youth who will also participate in BGCA's Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach program at the Lucy Simms Continuing Education Center in Harrisonburg.
Loudoun County Prevention and Community Outreach Services Loudoun County Community Services Board Thirty at-risk youth ages 13-17 will be involved in a service-learning summer camp where they will participate in multiple community service projects throughout the County. They will mentor and teach gang/violence prevention and refusal skills to younger, middle school summer program participants. Students will disseminate information and display posters and videos with anti-violence messages throughout the community. Program outcomes will include an increase in protective factors and a reduction in risk factors for gang activity involvement.
City of Manassas Park Leaders in Training (L.I.T.) Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation The City estimates that 0.51% of Manassas Park residents are participating in gangs. In 2000, the Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation developed the Leaders in Training (L.I.T.) program aimed at middle and high school aged participants. L.I.T.'s skill development, mentoring by adult staff /guest speakers, and community service projects encourage positive peer pressure and role modeling, create a positive place for youth to spend their time, provide an opportunity for participants to start planning for their future, and offer job and life skills to be successful, self-sufficient adults.
Mathews County Gang Prevention Through Targeted Outreach Boys and Girls Clubs of Matthews Mathews Boys & Girls Club Torch Club members will conceive of and take part in meaningful service projects to 3 local agencies, who serve a diverse population of Mathews County, for the betterment of the community and themselves
City of Petersburg Operation Diamond: Project Polish Petersburg Commonwealth's Attorney Operation Diamond is a city wide strategy of collaboration among the community, law enforcement, faith-based and schools to polish and empower the City of Petersburg and its citizens. Project Polish is a product of the collaborations to provide an after-school club for those youth identified as potential truants or at-risk for suspension due to disruptive behaviors, factors that place them as high risk for gang recruitment and involvement. The goal is to intervene in their lives with educational, life-coping tools, the arts, and community service in order to "polish" them, and empower them to be positive contributors to society, home and in school. Club Polish, as it is now called, is being extended to also provide summits for the middle school girls in order to reach more with more information.
City of Roanoke Service Learning Academy City of Roanoke, Virginia Juvenile Justice Services (Youth Haven) The City of Roanoke, Virginia Juvenile Justice Services will continue the operation of a Service Learning Academy as part of the Youth Haven Assessment and Brief Intervention Program. The Service Learning Academy utilizes a Positive Youth Development approach to empower at-risk male and female youth ages 12-17 through community service classes and projects in conjunction with area agencies. The Service Learning Academy is youth driven and encourages referrals from parents, schools, community agencies and self referrals.
City of Staunton Youth Power Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Youth Power is a free after-school based program for high-risk middle-school youth that couples life-skill training and community service opportunities. Youth Power will run 11-weeks during both a spring and fall session. The program will meet three days a week and run from school dismissal to 4:30 p.m. The weekly schedule for Youth Power will consist of two-days of the Project Alert, life-skill/drug resistance, curriculum coupled with one-day of community service. The program will enroll 20 at-risk youth during each session for a total of 40 youth serviced during the program year.
City of Suffolk Suffolk Community Service Initiative (CSI) City of Suffolk Office on Youth The Suffolk Community Services Initiative (CSI) is an innovative program that aims to provide at-risk youth with a positive alternative to gang involvement through meaningful community service and civic engagement. The CSI will employ the 5Cs of positive youth development by empowering at-risk youth to plan, develop, and implement community service projects for the betterment of the Suffolk community. The program will target at-risk youth identified by Suffolk Public Schools, Suffolk Parks and Recreation and Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and result in improved community affiliation, self confidence, and leadership among at-risk youth.
Surry County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in youth Project P.L.E.A.D.'s mission is to provide opportunities for youth ages 14-19 years old to engage in community service bringing them into closer contact with their community and increasing their civic engagement. Project P.L.E.A.D. is designed for youth to effectively develop service as a way to contribute to their community through three phases; preparing youth with knowledge and skills they will need for community service, performing service in the community, and reflecting and evaluating their experiences.
Sussex County Project P.L.E.A.D. The Improvement Association In order to foster a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in youth Project P.L.E.A.D.'s mission is to provide opportunities for youth ages 14-19 years old to engage in community service bringing them into closer contact with their community and increasing their civic engagement. Project P.L.E.A.D. is designed for youth to effectively develop service as a way to contribute to their community through three phases; preparing youth with knowledge and skills they will need for community service, performing service in the community, and reflecting and evaluating their experiences.
City of Waynesboro Summer Community Corps Shenandoah Valley Office on Youth Community Corps is a free summer-camp type program offered for eight weeks in the summer for at-risk youth ages 11-14. Youth participate two-days a week. One day, youth participate in community service projects. The second day, youth are taught a life-skills/ substance abuse prevention curriculum. The program will service 50 youth and provide eight community service opportunities to participants.