The Oaklandside | It Takes The Hood To Save The Hood: Real talk with Skyline High School’s violence interrupter

The Oaklandside just published a powerful interview by Ashley McBride with Carla Ashford, Youth ALIVE!’s school-based Violence Interrupter at Skyline High School—a candid look at what it takes to de-escalate conflict, build trust, and keep young people safe in real time.

Three years ago, a partnership between Oakland Unified School District and the Department of Violence Prevention placed violence-interruption teams at seven high schools; after the first year, OUSD reported fewer violence-related suspensions and expanded the program to include Oakland Tech and Skyline. That early success is now threatened by a funding cliff as city dollars are set to run out at the end of this school year, putting pressure on leaders to find a new source.

As McBride reports, Carla—a Youth ALIVE! mediator embedded at Skyline—spends her days anticipating and mediating conflicts, supporting students through crises, and connecting them to care so harm doesn’t escalate. It’s consistent, relationship-based work that helps stabilize school climate and gives students tools to choose safety over retaliation.

At Youth ALIVE!, we’re proud of Carla and our entire SBVI team. Their work proves what community-rooted public-health strategies can do when they’re sustained. If you’re moved by the piece, please share it widely, and if you’re able, help us keep this lifesaving work going by supporting Youth ALIVE!.

Read the Oaklandside article: “Only the hood can save the hood: Real talk with Skyline High School’s violence interrupter”(Oct. 10, 2025).