For 20th year, Worcester and Clark receive grant to prevent, reduce youth violence

The City of Worcester, with Clark University acting as a research partner, has once again received grant funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Sen. Charles E. Shannon Jr. Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI). The grant supports evidence-based efforts that prevent and reduce youth and gang violence in communities across the state.

Clark has served as the research partner of Worcester’s Shannon CSI since the grants were first awarded in 2006; Professor and Dean of the College Laurie Ross and Professor Jennifer Safford are the program’s investigators, working in partnership with the city, the Worcester Police Department, the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, Straight Ahead Ministries, the Worcester Community Action Council, and the Worcester Youth Center, Ross and Safford provide strategic research support and program evaluation of city-wide gang violence prevention and intervention.

Worcester was awarded $946,588 for the city’s Shannon initiative. Clark, as the local research partner, received $45,704.

The Senator Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative (Shannon CSI) supports regional and multi-disciplinary approaches to combat gang violence through coordinated programs for prevention and intervention. Working in partnership with the City of Worcester, the Worcester Police Department, the Boys and Girls Club of Worcester, Straight Ahead Ministries, the Worcester Community Action Council, and the Worcester Youth Center, Professor and Dean of the College Laurie Ross and Professor Jennifer Safford-Farquharson serve as the Shannon CSI Local Action Research Partner for Worcester, providing strategic research support and program evaluation of city-wide gang violence prevention and intervention.\