VIOLENCE PREVENTION

Violence Prevention

Many of the organization's programs (Drumline, Music Business, Music Theory & Song Writing, Financial Literacy) support CMA’s violence prevention initiatives. CMA believes that youth violence is a public health problem disproportionately impacting underserved minority communities. With that belief, CMA has adopted the (CDC) Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Protective Factors and Prevention Strategies for youth violence. By introducing students to new skills, career opportunities in the music industry and auditing college courses through our educational partners - CMA’s programs were designed to promote Individual Protective Factors including Positive Social Orientation (new skills) and Higher Educational Aspirations (college audits). Our program promotes Peer and Social Protective Factors by encouraging prosocial behavior though prosocial activities including individual presentations and group dialog. These programs strengthen youth skills in the areas of leadership and collaboration, music creation, music business, financial literacy, and more. To CMA, educational opportunities and financial literacy are critical to violence prevention. Our Financial Literacy workshop is offered through CMA’s partnership with Wintrust Bank. Through this program students build financial skills and by the end of the workshop participants will open a youth savings account with their local community financial institution, Wintrust Bank.