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According to the county, nearly 200 at-risk youths between the ages of 7 and 21 will benefit from academic enrichment, social counseling, violence prevention, employment training, job placement and recreation programs under an agreement sent this week to the Board of Legislators for approval.
The partnership will partially fund Mount Vernon’s “Youth Empowerment Program;” “Safe Haven Summer Camp and After School Program;” “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Saturdays;” and the “Step Up Program” for a period of one year.
“There is a clear and urgent need for youth programs in Westchester County, particularly in our inner cities where teens and young adults are vulnerable to the dangers of drug abuse and gangs," Astorino said in a statement. "The programs we have identified with the help of the city of Mount Vernon and Mayor Ernie Davis have proven successful at preventing juvenile delinquency and have shown great promise in giving young people a step up toward new educational and employment opportunities.”
Astorino said funding youth programs is part of a broader “Safer Communities” initiative launched earlier this year to address violence in Westchester’s communities. In June, the county announced a separate partnership with Mount Vernon to dedicate six county police officers to beat patrols in the city during the summer.
“Safer Communities is all about putting county and community resources to good use,” Astorino said. “These grants for Mount Vernon are just the latest example of how we can work together to keep our kids safe and make our neighborhoods better places for Westchester families.”
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