country programs
YCWA CEO Chris DiCarlo addresses the conference
Youth Crime Watch of America (YCWA) held its 20th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference & International Forum in Orlando, Florida (April 19-22, 2009) at the Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal. Every year since 1989, YCW has partnered with various organizations to conduct a conference in which youth and adults from across the United States and around the world meet, train and develop crime prevention strategies to make our nation’s schools and communities safer places to live and work. Youth participants become leaders in the crime reduction effort as they learn how to organize their prevention efforts, work with their peers and adults, and discover creative ways to improve safety. Youth and adult participants, in partnership, become part of an international network of crime prevention activists, as the groups exchange ideas and discuss their common purpose.
Monday April 20, the second day of the Conference, marked the 10 year anniversary of the devastating shooting at Columbine High School. The Conference provided all participants with an opportunity to honor the memory of the victims by identifying proactive steps everyone can take to prevent such violence. That morning Dr. Stephen Sroka, an award winning educator, author, and speaker, gave his acclaimed presentation, The Power of One with a special emphasis on putting a human face on school safety.
In sum, the National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum is about creatively constructing youth-driven crime prevention methodologies. The main sponsors of the event were the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Over 45 workshops and panel discussions by top crime prevention experts and youth leaders were offered, as well as full-length training sessions, inspiring speakers, and memorable special events.
For information regarding this and future conferences please call YCW headquarters at (305) 670-2409 in Miami, Florida, or email ycwa
ycwa.org.
About YCW
Youth Crime Watch (YCW) is a program that brings youth of all backgrounds together to help build strong communities, as well as reduce crime, violence, and drug use in their schools and neighborhoods through youth-led initiatives. The YCW program empowers youth to take an active role in their communities, cultivates values of active citizenship and helps to build self-confidence. YCW includes 450 program sites in over 20 states, and affiliated YCW organizations in over 25 countries. Find out more by checking out our website at www.ycwa.org.
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A complete photo gallery from this event will be posted soon. In the meantime here are just a few shots from our roving photographer.
More coming soon!