Violence Free Zone (VFZ)

The Violence-Free Zone is the national model of a youth violence reduction and high-risk student mentoring program created by the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise. Designed to operate in the most trouble-plagued schools in urban centers with high levels of crime and violence, the VFZ has produced measurable decreases in violent and non-violent incidents and suspensions at Bradley Tech.
How VFZ Works
The goal of the Violence-Free Zone initiative is to reduce violence and disruptions in the schools and prepare students for learning. The Center provides training in the Violence-Free Zone national model as well as technical assistance, administrative and financial oversight, and linkages to sources of support.
Central to the program are the Youth Advisors, mature young adults who are from the same neighborhoods as the students in the schools they serve. The Youth Advisors command respect because they have faced and overcome the same challenges as the students. Carefully screened, hired, and managed by the local community-partner organization, the Youth Advisors work in the schools as hall monitors, mediators, and character coaches, and they mentor the high risk students that often are responsible for disruptions.
Contact VFZ:
VFZ at Bradley Tech: (414) 212-2451
Milwaukee Christian Center
Karen W. Higgins, Executive Director
807 South 14th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Phone: (414) 645-5350
Email: emunoz.org
Website: mccwi.org