The Oaklandside | A School-Based Violence Intervention Program That’s Working — and at Risk

Oakland’s decrease in violence didn’t happen by accident. It reflects sustained investment in community-rooted prevention — including Youth ALIVE!’s School-Based Violence Intervention (SBVI) pilot.

Recently, Oaklandside education reporter Ashley McBride highlighted our SBVI program, noting how popular and promising it has become among teachers, administrators, parents, and students. Our intervention specialists mediate conflicts, interrupt cycles of retaliation, and create safe spaces for young people most impacted by violence.

And yet, despite its success, this pilot is at risk of losing funding in June.

If we want violence to continue declining in Oakland, we must invest in what works. Removing funding from a program that is actively helping students and schools stay safe would be a step backward.

Read Oaklandside’s coverage of the issue here: Oaklandside

Prevention works. Now we need the funding to sustain it.