Philadelphia’s young people learn to lead on violence prevention and restorative justice

Stoneleigh Youth Partnership Grant Partners VietLead and the Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project are providing restorative justice programming in the city, specifically for young people and families from immigrant and limited-English backgrounds.

Despite the summer break, classrooms at Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School in Chinatown were full on Sunday as members of Philadelphia’s first youth restorative justice cohort gathered to celebrate the completion of nearly a year of training.

The program, run by Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Project, comprised over 30 participants ages 14-20 who underwent monthly restorative justice training that started last summer. The project works with community members from the partner organizations Asian Americans United, Juntos, VietLead and The Youth Art & Self-empowerment Project to expand restorative justice programming in the city, specifically for young people and families from immigrant and limited-English backgrounds.

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