Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) Project East

Worcester, Massachusetts — the second largest city in New England with a population of 183,000-exhibits many established risk factors for youth and gang violence. The goal of the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative (SSYI) Project East is to reduce gang violence and prevent gang initiation among high-risk youth ages 12-17 in Worcester’s Eastside neighborhoods. By focusing on Worcester’s Eastside neighborhoods and on youth ages 12-17, this project addresses a major geographical, age, and programmatic gap identified in Worcester’s Youth Violence Prevention Initiative — which was the result of a comprehensive community gang assessment and citywide strategic planning process. SSYI Project East will bolster Worcester’s Comprehensive Gang Model to direct outreach workers and case management to up to 50 youth who live on the city’s Eastside, attend Worcester East Middle School, North High School or one of the city’s alternative school programs, and are on the Worcester Public Schools Gang Protocol List. Clark University will be the project’s research partner, developing and managing a data tracking system, as well as sharing best-practice research with the rest of the project team.