A new partnership between the city of Denver and Denver Public Schools will dedicate $200,000 in microgrant funding to help curb a troubling trend: the rise in youth violence.

During a Thursday press conference at the Montbello Recreation Center – located in the part of town that’s taken much of the brunt – Mayor Michael Hancock announced that the city will match DPS’ $100,000 commitment toward safety solutions.

“Keeping Denver’s children safe and healthy is the top priority for us and one of the most important parts of the jobs that we take on every day” he said. “As we look forward to the summer fast approaching … we have an opportunity to get resources into the hands of the leaders of community.”

“And we’re not talking about elected leaders,” he continued. “We’re talking about organizations who have been stepping up, being soldiers in the community every day, trying to serve our young people.”

Last year marked the second year Denver saw a spike in the number of teenagers shot and killed, The Denver Post reported. And the killings are continuing. In just the first six weeks of 2020, three teenagers died from gun violence.   

To help bring deaths down, the newly announced funding will go toward after-school programs, more support staff, extracurricular educational opportunities, outdoor field trips and more.

Ayme Barrios-DeSantiago, a sixth-grader at Farrell B. Howell, shared how after-school programs have provided opportunities for him to make more friends outside of his own class, to be a role model for younger students, and even to learn how to play the violin.

“If it were not for this club, I would have to take private violin lessons that my family would not be able to afford,” he said.

Dejon Lewis, a fourth-grade student at McGlone Academy, spoke about how a recent grant made it possible for him to now participate in an after-school game club, where he can learn new games and is given the chance to meet “so many different people” from school.

“We all just have fun,” he said.

Grants through DPS will provide funding for schools to further develop school-based youth programming through the end of the 2019-20 school year. Teachers and principals are eligible to apply for up to $5,000.

Denver’s grants will be funded through the Department of Public Safety Youth Programs to build out summer activities for kids. Teachers, principals, community organizations and leaders can apply for up to $10,000 for “safe and healthy activities” for students.

“The youth violence epidemic can only be solved if we all come together to wrap our arms around our children and the community,” DPS Superintendent Susana Cordova said. “I’m so grateful that we have [the city’s] partnership that we know we can count on.”

City Councilwoman Stacie Gilmore, who represents Montbello and has lived there for 25 years, called the funding “a good first step.”  

“We have heard from [families and youth] loud and clear that they don’t have the opportunities or the resources they need,” Gilmore said. “I want to make sure that we continue this work – that’s it’s not a one-and-done – and that we don’t just give money to organizations, but we really, truly look at sustainability.”

Gilmore said that means providing a “holistic approach” to addressing youth violence, including mental health support, resume building and how to be successful in life.

“They want access to financial literacy and financial empowerment. They truly want to understand how to be engaged in our society, in our government, in our communities – all the while, building wealth,” she said. “Wealth is home ownership. Wealth is family stability.”

Councilman Paul Kashmann, who chairs Denver City Council’s safety committee, echoed Gilmore’s point.  

“While $200,000 is a certainly a welcome pot of cash to do some community-based programs,” he said, “this problem we’ve got right now is so endemic in the fiber of our society.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “If this is where it stops, we’re all in a lot of trouble.”

Kashmann and Gilmore both told Colorado Politics they were hopeful the city’s efforts to keep kids safe would continue.

“I look forward to hopefully more announcements or partnerships around summer youth employment opportunities as well,” Gilmore said, adding that she will be pushing forward in the upcoming 2021 budget process to ensure the needed resources are available for young people and their families.

The period to apply for the city’s Public Safety Youth Programs grant will run from March 1 through March 27. Funds are restricted for programs supporting youth ages 12 to 18 between May 15 and August 31.

Hancock recently convened the Youth Violence Prevention Action Table to enhance youth violence prevention strategies and identify new ways to help tackle the issue. Part of his efforts have included launching a 1,200 gun lock giveaway and leading a phone call with the community on the issue.  

The city also is considering creating a specialized youth “gun court” in Denver’s judicial system, wherein a judge, prosecutors, public defenders and probation officers would work together to treat – not punish – first-time juvenile gun offenders and help address the root causes of their crimes. 

The new funding “is but a step of multiple steps that we’re going to take bring folks together to improve what we’re doing to come up with new ways to address the challenge.”