Howard Hughes firm invests in ‘Safe Places’ youth program

Wednesday, March 8, 2000 | 10:28 a.m.

A program designed to reduce youth violence by expanding peer mediation programs in schools and making changes to public parks and playgrounds received its first community donation Tuesday from the Howard Hughes Corp.

The project, "Safe Places to Live, Learn and Play," was created by Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny and Clark County School Board member Susan Brager following the shooting rampage at Columbine High School and other acts of youth violence that made headlines across the country.

Such acts were unthinkable years ago but are now part of the daily news, Kenny said. Safe Places is an effort to come up with a preventative plan rather than a response plan, she added.

Children spend most of their time at home, parks or schools, Kenny said. The task force, made up of elected officials throughout the valley, is working to ensure that these are safe places.

It is committed to putting conflict resolution and peer mediation training in every school, she said. Physical changes will be made to parks, such as safety lighting, landscaping that makes the area safer for children and fencing added to surround children's play areas.

Other goals include assessing existing services, increasing parental involvement, creating inventories of places where children congregate and pushing for school uniforms.

County spokesman Doug Bradford said $15 million will be spent on the program over the next five years.

The Howard Hughes grant will be used to begin the peer mediation programs at C.P. Squires and Richard Bryan elementary schools starting in September.

The peer mediation program, run by the Clark County Social Service Neighborhood Justice Center, trains staff members at the schools, who in turn train students to become peer mediators helping to resolve conflict.

The program originated in 1992 and now involves more than 50 Clark County schools.

Incidents such as anti-social behavior at Brown Middle School in Henderson have decreased because of the peer mediation program, said Shannon West, manager of the Neighborhood Justice Center.

When the program was introduced at Brown, 150 students came forward wanting to be mediators, she said.

"The kids see the urgency for finding a place to solve problems," West said. Problems such as name calling and rumor spreading are huge to children, she said. "Relationships are really precious."

The justice center's second program, "Culture of Peace," works with youth outside of school situations by bringing conflict resolution training into venues such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, recreation departments, faith groups and detention centers.