National Youth Violence Prevention Week

National Youth Violence Prevention Week

April 12-16, 2021: National Youth Violence Prevention Week (NYVPW) is a time for youth to lead communities on effective strategies to prevent youth violence. This campaign is a week-long event with each day of the week corresponding to a specific challenge for our community. The goal is to encourage positive community engagement and promote a sense of community responsibility. See below on what the Phyllis Wheatley Center is doing all week long!

Make a Shirt Monday- 4/12

Phyllis Wheatley Center youth will design their own shirts promoting awareness for National Youth Violence Prevention Week to be worn at Friday's community event.

TikTok Tuesday- 4/13

TikTok Tuesday! Our youth will host and participate in a TikTok contest using #StopTheViolenceKnox to promote NYVPW. These videos will be shared on the @PWC_YWCA TikTok account.

Write It Out Wednesday- 4/14

Youth are challenged to take part in a poetry contest to create a poem or spoken word that reflects their views on the importance of youth violence prevention. See below for the poetry contest rules and how to submit a piece.

Thoughtful Thursday- 4/15

Community Leaders are invited to come work in our Phyllis Wheatley garden with our youth! As we turn over our garden beds, we will also turn over a new leaf in our community. After gardening, student and community leaders will come together for a round table discussion. Youth will be given the opportunity to voice their opinions, as well as, collaborate on wholistic solutions to violence prevention in the community.

Fun Friday- 4/16

To round out National Youth Violence Prevention Week, we are hosting a socially distanced cookout and field day from 5PM-7PM. During this event our team will continue to share ways in which the community can continue to advocate for youth moving forward. Additionally, winners for Tuesday's TikTok challenge and Wednesday's poetry contest will also be announced.

NYVPW Poetry Contest Rules:

1. Students must be enrolled at a Knox County School served by the YWCA’s Phyllis Wheatley Center, in grades 6-12.

2. Students can enter their own work or have a teacher submit their entry.

3. All entries must be an original work of the individual student.

4. Appropriate topics include any subject related to National Youth Violence Prevention Week.

5. Poems should be less than 40 lines of text. Please note that blank lines between stanzas are not counted.

Ready to submit your poem? Click here! Contest winners will be announced on Friday, April 16, 2021.