Safe Night Held at Woodland’s J.C. YMCA
Jul 11th, 2009
A great youth event to educate teens on violence avoidance and staying safe was held at the John C. Cudahy YMCA in the Woodland’s Neighborhood. The evening offered presenters, entertainment, food, and fun for youth ages 10-19.
Presenters included Olu Sijuwade, one of the original creators of the Safe Nights concept. Back in the 1990’s Olu worked with others to develop the first Safe Night. “The idea is for youth to come to a party and have a good time. During the party, they learn useful skills for resolving conflict peacefully,” he explained. Sijuwade worked for the Milwaukee Health Department when he started Safe Nights in Milwaukee as a tool to deal with the city’s rising youth homicide rate. At the time, the program was credited as a key factor in a 60% drop in Milwaukee’s youth homicide rate.
Additional Safe Nights are planned for this summer on July 31st and dates in August. It is a great opportunity for youth from a variety of backgrounds and neighborhoods to come together in a fun, safe and peaceful setting, and leave inspired to be leaders to keep the peace on the streets of Milwaukee.
