In Portland, the Lents Youth Initiative (LYI) is making strides in engaging young individuals in community development and safety programs this summer. A partnership among Rose City Self-Defense (RCSD), Safe Blocks, the Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), and WorkSystems Learn & Earn allowed three youth interns to gain valuable experience in leadership and community service, as reported by Portland.gov. The program, funded by a Safer Portland grant, emphasizes teaching interns how their neighborhood can be made a safer place through government collaboration and environmental design.
These interns, participating in LYI, received over 45 hours of training focused on leadership skills, environmental stewardship, and career development. According to a statement obtained by Portland.gov, with this training, the youth were able to lead projects over the summer that contributed "thousands of hours to projects that benefit the neighborhood." Stepping out in the field, interns learned hands-on about Portland's history and the impact of urban design on living conditions and local safety.
The program included educational excursions to Portland's diverse neighborhoods and parks, contrasting spaces like the Pearl District, waterfront areas, and outer southeast parks for accessibility and safety perceptions. Safe Blocks introduced interns to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) concepts, leading to an assessment of Lincoln Park in Hazelwood, which holds personal significance for each of the interns. Trained on CPTED, the interns partnered with Safe Blocks mentors to analyze and produce recommendations for the park's improvement.
Following their assessments, the interns were tasked with presenting their findings and suggestions to the community to solicit feedback. The initial presentation occurred at Sunday Parkways in July at Lincoln Park, engaging attendees through a "dotting activity" to gauge their reactions. "They started by presenting at Sunday Parkways in July at Lincoln Park, using a dotting activity to capture people’s initial reactions to their recommendations," detailed the Portland.gov report. Subsequent feedback sessions were held with OVP’s Community Peace Collaborative and concluded with the interns presenting to directors and chiefs of Portland's Public Safety Service Area. The aim is to eventually have interns present their recommendations to City Council members, particularly those from District 1, with the hope of advancing at least one of their park improvement proposals.
