Office of Violence Prevention Holds Graduation for Peacekeepers Academy Inaugural Cohort

Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington standing with graduates of the inaugural Peacekeepers Academy.

Mecklenburg County’s Office of Violence Prevention is proud to announce the graduation of its first cohort of the Peacekeepers Academy, a learning series for grassroots organizations working to prevent community violence.

The graduation will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 1 – 2 p.m. at Revolution Park Sports Academy, 1225 Remount Road, Charlotte, NC 28208.

“We have great organizations and committed people in our community,” said Tracie Campbell, Mecklenburg County Public Health Office of Violence Prevention. “But many of these organizations are at the grassroots level. They are working hard in their respective spaces, but we also know they need support in building infrastructure and OVP is here to help.”

Peacekeepers Academy is an interactive, eight-session learning series designed to build resiliency for community-based organizations working to address community violence in Mecklenburg County. Participant organizations receive:

  • Education/technical assistance from experts focused on violence prevention
  • Best practices on organizational efficiency
  • Lessons on how to measure and track success
  • Lessons on how to increase scalability of services
  • Holistic public health approaches to prevent and interrupt the cycle of violence
  • Financial grant to support efforts to learn, implement and achieve resiliency which may include dedicated computers to track an organization’s work

When Mecklenburg County Public Health launched its Office of Violence Prevention, its inaugural goal was to understand the issues, meet the community partners in the work, and develop a plan of action to make our neighborhoods safer for all.

The Way Forward is Mecklenburg County’s Community Violence Strategic Plan. It addresses violence as a public health issue, a threat that impacts any and all residents. It’s also the blueprint to roll out the work through community partners.

“Grassroots organizations are the backbone of this work to stop and prevent community violence. Their work, passion, and commitment are an inspiration to us all,” said Dr. Kimberly Scott, Assistant Public Health Director of Population Health which oversees OVP. “We want to help these community partners create a sustainable pathway with tools and resources. We don’t want them to burn out because this work is intense, and the Peacekeepers Academy is providing respite and tangible tools to those working to make our communities safer.”

Here's the list of the first Peacekeepers Academy Cohort.

  • A Giving Heart Project  
  • Ausie & Martin Rivens Scholarship Foundation  
  • Carla A Carlisle, LLC  
  • Concrete Roses Life Center  
  • Family Mankind
  • Gryphon Group Advisory + Consulting, LLC
  • Help Adolescents Speak Out
  • The Queens Collective Birthing
  • Unique Blessings
  • Youth Education & Arts