The Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on the Prevention of Youth Violence is an independent 501 C (3) non-profit organization that operates under the mission of “connecting youth with pathways to success”. We use a youth focused, community centered public health approach that directly addresses disparities within key factors that influence the social determinants of health and contribute to the cycle of violence within our community. The BRC operates through the engagement of multiple stakeholders that work collaboratively to identify, develop, and support the implementation and dissemination of evidence based and culturally appropriate strategies, interventions, model programs, and tools focused on addressing youth violence. In order create sustainable change within the community, we believe it is essential to have the equitable engagement of community members in the design, implementation, and evaluation of our interventions in order to continuously improve and adapt the way that we serve our families. Our ultimate goal is to create a sustainable replicable model that ensures the development of strong self-sufficient families within communities that value and nurture our children and youth and fully prepare them for lifelong success. The BRC was originally formed in 2008 as an initiative under the United Way of the Cape Fear Area as a response to the prevalent violence among youth in the North side of downtown Wilmington at the time. The BRC was created to serve as a multi-sectoral collaboration of community partners working together to collectively address issues related to youth violence. In order to foster this collaboration, the BRC created an advisory board that included representatives from the local city and county government, university, school system, healthcare system, court system, law enforcement, private businesses, non-profits, faith-based leaders, and community members. Following the work of the Harlem Children's Zone, the BRC replicated a similar model of "transforming a community one block, one area at a time", and committed to serving an area designated as the Youth Enrichment Zone (Y.E.Z.). Virgo Preparatory Academy, a public middle school in the Y.E.Z. that was shut down due to low enrollment and low performance and moved their operations into the school. In 2013 the BRC began operating as its own a 501(c) (3) non-profit with the mission of "Building a community where youth are safe, healthy, educated, and successful...Now!” The BRC continues to serve D.C. Virgo students through family success planning, after school programs, and additional services working to address the needs of students. In 2015 BRC expanded services within the Y.E.Z. community by moving operations into the city-owned Hemenway Center and now provides programming for Y.E.Z students in 1st-12th grades as well as wrap-around support services for the whole family.
