08/31/2026
Gun violence prevention consists of a lot of things. It can be focusing on limiting easy access to fi****ms for children or focusing on systemic factors that lead young people into the cycle of gun violence. Per the ONE Lexington Gun Violence Prevention Community's "All Hearts On Deck" Strategic Plan to Reduce Gun Violence (in partnership with Cities United & University of Kentucky Community Innovation Lab) among youth and young adults, providing prevention programming and support to those most vulnerable is extremely important to creating pathways to success and breaking generational cycles. Below are a few examples of our preventative work when it comes to gun violence:
It Takes a Village In-School Mentoring Program:
The collective comprises different individuals and organizations (in collaboration with One Lexington staff) who facilitate weekly, in-school mentoring programs in middle or high school in FCPS. We work directly with schools to identify 10-20 students who are dealing with challenges that may leave them more susceptible to the cycle of gun violence: poverty, parental incarceration, inconsistent family structure, food insecurity, trauma, behavior challenges in the previous school year, or have been directly affected by gun violence. Our model is to provide this group of students with in-school support each week, focusing on topics and discussions that teachers may not have the bandwidth to cover in the classroom. Group topics could include conflict resolution, financial literacy, breaking generational curses, career readiness, entrepreneurship, mental health, mindfulness, dating violence, diversity & inclusion, gun violence, and more. This opportunity is available to boys and girls.
N.O.C.A.P. (Nurturing Or Creating Alternative Pathways) Program:
In 2023, ONE Lexington launched a multi-organization partnership that will cover the program and activities fees for youth, ages 10 – 17, with incarcerated parents or who have been directly impacted by gun violence. The name of this program is N.O.C.A.P. (Nurturing Or Creating Alternative Pathways). Potential partnerships include fitness, wellness, music, sports, and computer coding. Studies show that children of incarcerated parents have a higher risk of experiencing or witnessing violence.
"These hidden victims receive little personal support and do not benefit from the systemic societal mechanisms generally available to direct crime victims, despite their prevalence and their similarities to direct crime victims." - Eric Martin of the National Institute of Justice.
"Children of incarcerated parents may also face several other challenging circumstances. They may have experienced trauma related to their parent’s arrest or experiences leading up to it. Children of incarcerated parents may also be more likely to have faced other adverse childhood experiences, including witnessing violence in their communities or directly in their household or exposure to drug and alcohol use/misuse." - Youth.gov
"While many of the risk factors children of incarcerated parents experience may be related to parental substance abuse, mental health, inadequate education, or other challenges, parental incarceration increases the risk of children living in poverty or experiencing household instability independent of these other problems." - Rutgers University National Resource Center on Children & Families of the Incarcerated.
Be the Change Scholarship Program:
Established by ONE Lexington, in partnership with Galls and Blue Grass Community Foundation (and supported by Central Bank of Lexington), the Be the Change Scholarship supports graduating high school seniors of Fayette County Public Schools who have previously faced limited opportunities. The mission of the scholarship is to help students pursue careers in fields where diverse voices and perspectives are underrepresented – such as criminal justice, mental health, education, nursing and social work. ONE Lexington is dedicated to reducing violence in Lexington and, through this scholarship, seeks to provide life-changing opportunities that empower the next generation of leaders to Be the Change that makes our community safer, stronger and more equitable.
For more information on our preventative program, services, and overall strategy, please contact our director, Devine Carama, at [email protected]
