Community Guardians "The Village" Program

The Village is a community-led volunteer initiative designed to ensure that older youth have a safe, welcoming, and well-supervised place to spend time after school. The program trains caring adults from the neighborhood to be a consistent presence in public playgrounds and parks during peak after-school hours, creating safer spaces where students can socialize, play, and unwind with confidence. Through this program, volunteers receive training in conflict de-escalation, adolescent development, mandated reporting, and park safety protocols. After completing training and background checks, volunteers serve short rotating shifts in designated parks. They act not as security but as trusted community protectors who build relationships, maintain calm, encourage positive play, and step in early when issues arise. The Village also includes a Youth Leadership Pathway, allowing older teens to serve as “Junior Village Leaders,” gaining community service hours, leadership experience, and mentorship. This not only strengthens safety but also nurtures pride, ownership, and responsibility among young people in our borough Grant funding will support training, safety vests and ID badges, first-aid kits, communication devices (such as walkie-talkies), activity kits, outreach materials, and the coordination needed to sustain volunteer schedules. The Village strengthens public spaces, supports parents, empowers youth, and restores what many neighborhoods have lost: a shared sense of responsibility for our children. This project brings that village back—literally and figuratively—by ensuring our parks are places of safety, joy, and community connection for every child.

Many middle schoolers and teens gather at playgrounds immediately after dismissal, but these spaces often lack regular adult supervision. This leads to preventable safety concerns like conflicts, bullying, theft, and unsafe interactions, which leave both students and families feeling unprotected. The Village addresses this need by activating the strength of the community itself: adults who are trained, visible, and committed to supporting kids in public spaces.

Youth (under 24)