The Dixwell/Newhallville community like many inner-city neighborhoods has seen a steady economic decline over the past 10 years. It was once a vibrant community with a thriving youth center (The Dixwell Q House) that offered a variety of programs for area youth. As a result of the loss of this community youth center as well as others in the city, the youth of this neighborhood have lost positive alternatives to hanging on the streets and getting into negative situations and engaging in negative activities. Violence among youth and teens in my neighborhood and in the City of New Haven is on the rise. On a personal note, one day my brother, who is two years old, said "boom", "boom" to me. This is the sound that he hears most nights in my neighborhood. It makes me sad because our neighborhood looks good and "normal" during the day. . . but looks can be deceiving. It is a shame that anyone should be afraid to walk the streets of their neighborhood or afraid to sit on their front porch. I feel like a prisoner in my own home….in the neighborhood that I am growing up in. I have been involved in Your Place Youth Center since July of 2008. I came to this program because I had made some bad decisions and as a result I became a client of the Juvenile Review Board. This program helped to give me a second chance and Your Place showed me that I have voice and I can be a leader in my community. I want to help other teens understand that we don't have to follow the negative examples of our peers. I feel that I have a responsibility to my community, and myself to be involved in creating positive change in my neighborhood and the New Haven community.

Your Place Youth Center's mission is to provide creative alternatives to gang violence. The program seeks to offer teens a variety of groups to experience, such as dance, leadership training, photography, cooking, bike repair, graphic design. The program also gives the teens a one-on-one weekly mentoring experience with an adult volunteer. Your Place also gives the youth of the community a place to voice their concerns and fears about the violence in our community. We have had the opportunity to talk about the violence on the streets and how it affects us in our daily lives. We have had the opportunity to speak at many places about violence in the city. We also sponsored a luncheon on September 21, 2008, the International Day of Peace, at Yale Divinity School bringing together various political, educational, business, community and police leaders of New Haven and other cities. This was a great opportunity to get adults at the table to hear what the youth in the city think and feel about the problems and violence in New Haven. The Mayor of Meriden, Connecticut invited us to the Meriden Night Out to see how that city has been able to bring various people in the community together in order to bring peace to their streets. Through the implementation of Rhythms of Peace program, we hope to give the youth of the community an alternative to gang violence through the positive outlet of musical expression. Music is one way of expressing your hopes and dreams, your trials and tribulations. Music speaks to the soul. Music also has a way of transcending all the things that separate us. I believe that through music, the youth in my community can turn the negative energy that causes them to choose violence and other negative avenues, into a positive way of expressing themselves, whether it is singing, poetry set to music, rapping, or playing an instrument.

Music is food for the soul. I want to create music program to that gives the youth in my community a creative outlet by offering voice, instrumental, and keyboard lessons to interested youth in my community. The program will also seek to create partnerships with area music schools, such as the Yale School of Music, the Neighborhood Music School and area musicians, who will be encouraged to volunteer to provide one-on-one and group music training. I would also like to bring together the students of this program as well as other community groups that focus on music for individual or group showcase of their talent for a Rhythms for Peace Showcase to be held annually.

We need volunteers. If you interested in volunteering please contact (203) 562-1080.