Upcoming Event: "Changing the Narrative" Art Exhibition

The Arts against Violence: Changing the Narrative of Brownsville community-wide summer tour is coming to an end. With one last stop scheduled to take place at the Van Dyke Community Center on Friday, August 30, 2013 at 8pm, the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project (BAVP) and its’ advisory boards have been planning a grand summer finale.

While on tour, the BAVP visited 4 Brownsville schools (Mott Hall Bridge Academy, Frederick Douglas High School, Teacher’s Preparatory Charter School and Roads Charter High School), 1 church (First Baptist Church of Brownsville), and National Night Out. Throughout the tour, young people talked about the effects of violence on the community and ways young people can make a difference. Young people also worked on original individual drawings, poetry, photography, essays and painted group inspired canvases to bring their visions and experiences to life!

It’s not over! If you missed the BAVP on tour, you still have a chance to make the finale! Come see what Brownsville youth have to say about growing up in Brownsville and what a better Brownsville looks like to them! The BAVP will be showcasing all of the art made on tour at:

Arts against Violence: Changing the Narrative of Brownsville Art Exhibition!

Van Dyke Community Center

(392 Blake Avenue Brooklyn, N.Y. 11212)

Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 1pm-4pm.

Refreshments will be served! Prizes to top art submissions!

We are still accepting freelance art submissions to be considered at the exhibitions!

You don’t want to miss out! For more information on this event or to find out how you can submit artwork to be considered for a prize, please feel free to reach out to the BAVP:

Brownsville Anti-Violence Project, Brownsville Community Justice Center, 444 Thomas S. Boyland Street, Suite 207, (between Pitkin Ave and East New York Ave), Brooklyn, NY 11212.
Phone: 347-404-9584 or 347-404-9589

Email: BAVPevents@gmail.com
Instagram: @antiviolenceproject

LAW INTERNSHIPS FOR TEENS-- Accepting Applications now!

Are you 14-18?

Are you currently enrolled in school or a GED Program?

Do you want to learn about the law?

Do you want to help other teens who have gotten into trouble?

The Brownsville Youth Court Wants You!

What is Brownsville Youth Court?

The Brownsville Youth Court trains teenagers ages 14-18 to serve as jurors, judges and youth and community advocates. Members hear real-life cases of other teens that have committed low-level offenses. Youth court members then offer meaningful and beneficial sanctions. The goal of Youth Court is not to assess guilt or innocence; rather it is to use positive peer pressure to ensure that young people who have committed minor offenses pay back the community and receive the help they need to avoid further involvement in the justice system.

How do I become a youth court member?

Brownsville Youth court members are selected out of a competitive training internship program. Trainees are selected based on the quality of their applications and interview performance. Youth Court trainees spend 32 unpaid hours learning about youth court, juvenile justice, how to perform the roles, and take a bar exam. Trainees will receive community service hour credits for the training internship. Trainees who perform well on the bar exam and have demonstrated themselves throughout the training process are chosen to serve in a 6-month paid internship as youth court members.

Who is eligible to apply?

Brownsville Youth Court membership is open to Brooklyn teens ages 14-18 who are enrolled in school or GED program.

How much do youth court members get paid?

Youth court members receive a $100/month stipend to serve for 5 hours per week.

When is the training internship?

The training internship will take place mid-October and end mid-December on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM. The training location takes place at the Brownsville Community Justice Center located at 444 Thomas Boyland St. (between Pitkin and East New York Avenues).

When and where are youth court hearings held?

Youth court hearings will be held at 444 Thomas Boyland St. every Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00- 6:00pm.

Interested in becoming a member of  

Brownsville Youth Court? 

     Apply HERE or Click HERE to download the application. 

Applications are Due No Later than September 30, 2013

If you have any questions, Please contact a BYC staff person at 347-404-9581

Summer in the 'Ville

The past few weeks have been a busy time at the Brownsville Community Justice Center. The steady stream of young people coming through our doors to inquire about summer opportunities quickly turned to waves of purple shirts on their way out the door, equipped with digital cameras, paint brushes, and anti-violence palm cards. After taking a moment to calculate the numbers, we now understand why it’s felt so busy! All in all, this year the Brownsville Community Justice Center will offer 254 young people from Brownsville paid opportunities in community restoration projects, internships and the arts.

Here are a few highlights behind the numbers:

On Tuesday evening, our cornerstone program, the Brownsville Youth Court heard its 300^th case. Since their first hearing on May 12, 2011, more than 111 young people have served as members and have successfully diverted 294 cases from the traditional juvenile justice system, with a 92% compliance rate. Even more impressively, last month, all 8 of our graduating seniors were accepted into college and will be attending in the fall.

The Brownsville Justice Community program just completed enrollment of its 2nd cohort of 60 justice system-involved young people from Brownsville. For 6 months these young people will pursue educational and job-readiness goals while participating in neighborhood benefit projects. As we speak, members are working on two community murals – one with Groundswell and the Department of Transportation alongside the Lane Bryant on Pitkin Avenue and one with Xmental behind a community garden on Saratoga and Sutter.

In addition to convening our monthly parolee “call in” forums, the Brownsville Anti-Violence Project recruited a Youth Advisory Board to guide its public education campaign. These young people are dedicating to combating gun and gang violence in Brownsville and will be the creative engine behind our campaign messaging, community events, and social media, including the final tour dates of our “Changing the Narrative” tour at local schools, churches, and community centers.   

     

Last week was also the launch of PhotoVoice, a participatory photography program in partnership with the Brooklyn Arts Council led by professional photographers and teaching artists, Russell Frederick and Sam Barzilay. PhotoVoice aims to use photography as a platform for young people in Brownsville to have a voice in their community and represent Brownsville in a more positive light to the outside world. The program will culminate in September with the student’s work being displayed in the pop-up PhotoVille festival in DUMBO, a gallery-style exhibit at the Van Dyke Community Center, and a semi-permanent installation of the student’s work along Mother Gaston Blvd.

As a staff, we’ve been overwhelmed by the level of dedication and passion among youth to do something positive in the community. While these young people may never appear in our Google alerts or make headlines in the Daily News, they are the daily inspiration for our work and we’re proud to have them in our purple, representing the very best of the Justice Center.  

The Brownsville Anti-Violence Project launches the Changing the Narrative Tour

The Brownsville Anti-Violence Project (BAVP) is on tour! Working together with community stakeholders, the BAVP has launched the Arts against Violence: Changing the Narrative of Brownsville Tour and art competition. The Changing the Narrative Tour is a 7-stop open discussion and art-making session in Brownsville schools and community spaces. At each “tour date” young people and the community ask “what are the effects of gun and gang violence on my community?”, “what can I do to help?” And, “what does a better Brownsville look like?”. The BAVP has made 3 stops in the month of June: (1) the Brownsville Youth Court, (2) a joint date with Teacher Preparatory High School and Frederick Douglas Academy, and (3) Mott Hall Bridges Academy Junior High School. So far, the Changing the Narrative Tour has reached over 120 youth who live or go to school in Brownsville.
 

Young men from the Brownsville Justice Community Program came to help out!  



Accompanying the BAVP on tour is Ralph Perez, artist and Executive Director of X-Mental, Inc.  Ralph brings the conversation to life on canvas as each group discussion evolves. After the discussion, attendees break into smaller groups at work stations. At the stations are prompts and supplies for everyone to begin crafting their best BAVP logos, slogans and freelance images. Each station is also given the chance to add their flare and paint the canvas inspired by the group discussion.

At the Brownsville Youth Court tour date, Ralph Perez of X-Mental, Inc teaches young people painting technique!

The best of the tour date canvases and individual submissions will be displayed at the Changing the Narrative gallery event in Van Dyke Community Center on September 14, 2013. At the gallery event, stakeholders will get the chance to vote on submissions. Submissions with the most votes will win prizes and inspire an outdoor community mural!  

At Frederick Douglas Academy and Teacher Preparatory High School young people add some color to their group canvas!

Everyone can play a part in Changing the Narrative! If you miss the BAVP on tour or a BAVP event you can still create artwork to be displayed at the art gallery event and for the art competition! The deadline for independent submissions is August 2, 2013.

Don’t despair! There are more stops on the Changing the Narrative tour! The BAVP will be heading to ROADS Charter School and Aspirations Diploma Plus High School for a joint date, Van Dyke Community Center and two additional community spaces.  

Stay tuned for more Changing the Narrative event information! For up-to-the-minute BAVP updates and great action photos follow the BAVP on instagram: @antiviolenceproject!



Mott Hall Bridge Academy scholars pay close attention to conversation prompts!



Kayin Latson, BAVP Staff, leads the discussion at the Frederick Douglas Academy and Teachers Preparatory High School joint tour date!

Mott Hall Bridge Academy working on their group canvas!

Ralph Perez of X-Mental at work during the group discussion at the Frederick Douglas Academy and Teachers Preparatory High School joint tour date!

Brownsville Youth Court puts the finishing touches on their canvas!

Brownsville celebrates It's My Park Day in Betsy Head

In celebration of “It’s My Park Day,” last Friday thousands of New Yorkers came together to beautify their neighborhood parks and green spaces. In Brownsville, staff from the Brownsville Community Justice Center and members of the Brownsville Justice Community program joined 30 AmeriCorps volunteers from the New York Juvenile Justice Corps and John Jay College of Criminal Justice for a day of service in Betsy Head Park. Volunteers scraped unsightly, peeling paint from a giant retaining wall on the perimeter of the park and gave it a bright new coat. Volunteers also worked in a community garden, weeding, removing debris, and laying woodchips to enrich the soil. Lastly, a team of volunteers dispersed throughout the neighborhood to conduct “audits” at several other Brownsville parks, ballfields and playgrounds, including: Nehemiah, Livonia, Howard, Floyd Patterson, Chester, Dr. Richard Green and Carter G. Woodson. Audits involve assessing the parks' level of activity, quality, safety, signage, and aesthetics. Volunteers looked for signs of vandalism or excessive litter, whether there was adequate lighting and visibility from the street, and whether fields and facilities were maintained. The audit tool was designed by the Brownsville Partnership and Municipal Arts Society of New York and will be used to establish priorities and guide long-term planning for revitalizing Brownsville’s green spaces.

We would like to thank the Parks Department and Partnership for Parks for the support which made the day possible, as well as all the volunteers for their service toward a greener future for Brownsville.

  

With our scrapers hard at work, the sidewalk was soon covered with red paint chips.

Volunteers from John Jay showed off their green thumbs.

Volunteers carefully spread woodchips around trees and shrubs.

Brownsville Justice Community members made fast work of the bucket of woodchips. 

Our t-shirts represented all the partnerships at work!

Sonia Chowdury from the Center for Court Innovation came out to support the group.

Volunteers painting the 8-foot retaining wall along Strauss Street.

Enjoying the beautiful sunshine and first signs of spring!

The last traces of the chipped red paint soon disappeared under a fresh white coat.

Teamwork makes the dream work! Thank you volunteers. We appreciate your service!

Find Applications and Surveys Here! All Things Brownsville Anti-Violence Project Are Now Online!

The Brownsville Anti-Violence Project (BAVP) is now looking for an amazing Events and Programs Intern! Applicants should be a rising junior or senior college student with superior administrative and organizational skills, excellent communication skills both written and verbal, a high capacity for creative and critical thinking, and a willingness to take initiative. Applicants should be comfortable working with diverse groups of people and be social media savvy with a high proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher). Prior work experience in event planning or administrative assistance a plus. This will be an exciting and rewarding opportunity for a young person interested in law, social justice or civic engagement!

For more information about this opportunity and instructions on how to apply email: emateo@courts.state.ny.us

The BAVP is now recruiting for the Youth Advisory Board!

Here’s some information young people need to know:

•       Youth must be 14-24 years old

•       Youth must live in Brownsville (11212)

•       Youth must be able to communicate a passion to see change in Brownsville

•       Youth must complete an application and interview process

•       Application Deadline Friday, May 10, 2013 @ 3:00pm

•       This is a paid opportunity

Interested? Fill out the online application here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1deGnUBjChHb3ohl9IWYQIxtDGh3oCP3lObLb9JhZEus/viewform

Applications are now open for the BAVP’s Adult Campaign Advisory Board!

The mission of the Adult Campaign Advisory Board is to support and distribute a message and/or service that seeks to cure violence in Brownsville and to support Brownsville youth by building their capacity to cure violence in Brownsville.For more information and online application click the link below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1m9oMbi2K0e-DNI87fqiR7nTPMsAaOSbdwJf7IIibgps/viewform

Are you a Brownsville Stakeholder? Want to help steer the direction of the BAVP? Want to give us your feedback? Fill out the BAVP’s survey:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1AVaxcdFnmFNpLhlSehEQuzLyITqO_hHIgvQShJpwtT4/viewform

Brownsville Anti-Violence Project Convenes Community Leaders and Stakeholders

The Brownsville Anti-Violence Project (BAVP) held their first stakeholders’ luncheon last Friday (April 5, 2013) in the Heritage House at the Stone Ave Branch Library. Over 60 Brownsville stakeholders were in attendance!  The day started with an icebreaker called “The Human Treasure Hunt”, which encouraged stakeholders to get to know one another and learn fun facts about their neighbors. One of our stakeholders even serenaded us all!

After the ice was broken, James Brodick and Viviana Gordon delved right into informing stakeholders of existing justice center programming, future justice center plans, and CCI survey results specific to Brownsville.

Once the basics of the Brownsville Community Justice Center were covered, Erica Mateo and Kayin Latson, the BAVP team, delved right into the two components of the anti-violence project: offender notification meetings and the public education campaign. Assisted by lovely Ife Charles, City-Wide Anti-Violence Coordinator at the Center for Court Innovation, the BAVP talked about changing the narrative of Brownsville by saturating the community with positive messaging and pro-social activities. Ife talked about the groundwork laid in Crown Heights through SOS (Save Our Streets), and the importance of getting an anti-violence project off the ground in Brownsville in order to save lives.

The BAVP also announced the upcoming Arts to End Violence Contest/Tour set for summer 2013, and ways to get involved. All stakeholders were given a packet with information about the anti-violence project, a 1 page stakeholder’s survey, an adult campaign advisory board one-pager and interest form, and a youth advisory board flier and application.

Big shout out to all Brownsville Justice Community Center staff, Justice Community youth and Peacekeeper Jesse Gordon, who did a great job helping the BAVP throughout the event.

The Heritage House was packed for the AVP's first stakeholder event.  

Probation Officers from the Brownsville NeON site, Peacekeepers and clergy were among the attendees.

NYCHA REES Zone Coordinator Eric Steiner and Brownsville Community Baptist Church Minister Lee get to know each other in the ice breaker.  

Ife Charles speaks about SOS and gets the room pumped up! 

 Justice Community Participants present the winners of the Human Treasure Hunt with movie tickets!

Peacekeepers Douglas Covington and Jesse Gordon and Chaplain Sharon listen to remarks.

AmeriCorps member Desiree Knight mingles with guests before the start of the event.

The "Magic" food servers: Davon, Wendi and Ben!