YPI: host a YPI
The Youth Police Initiative (YPI) is a three-week training program that brings together up to fifteen youth with a similar number of police officers who patrol their neighborhoods. The two groups, often polarized, complete a leadership curriculum that reduces negative stereotypes by building positive identity and relationship ties. They then strengthen their relationships by completing activities together that help them to better their lives and their community. The YPI program highlights the potential to simultaneously achieve a positive benefit for youth participants and a paradigm changing societal benefit for law enforcement. The Youth Link team can facilitate a multi-session YPI in any community with a willing police department and community-based partner group. The model is meant to be part of a sustained effort but a single round of YPI can be a powerful catalyst for bringing people together around solutions and cooperation.
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