'Good Gangs' program in Lynchburg steers children away from gang violence toward successful futures

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Inside the doors of Fort Hill Community School in Lynchburg is a program on a mission to help young people make good life choices and set them up for a successful future.

Lynchburg City Schools partners with the University of Lynchburg and the Police Department to host the "Good Gangs" program at the school.

Program Director and Co-Director of the Center for Innovative Leadership at the University of Lynchburg, Dr. Owen Cardwell said the idea behind "Good Gangs" is that all youth want to belong.

"There's nothing wrong with a gang as long as the motives of the gang are pure," Cardwell said. "A baseball team is a gang, etc."

There are 28 middle schoolers in the program right now.

"The main goal and purpose is to help every young person to understand that they bring to the table some strength," Cardwell said.

He said they focus on things like self-efficacy, identifying career options, and conflict resolution.

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According to Cardwell, the program has received more than $250,000 in funding

• $50,000 Operation Ceasefire Grant from the Attorney General's Office
• $150,000 from the Department of Criminal Justice Services
• $66,000 through the Teen and Police Service Academy

The students meet 3 days a week with their mentors who teach the program.

Mentor Coordinator Desmond Mosby said this program helps keep kids out of trouble by giving them hope and a plan for their lives.

"That's really what our goal is here, to institute plans for each one of these students," Mosby said. "But I think the other key piece is the relationship building that our mentors have."

He said this is the message they are trying to instill in students:

"Each and every one of you has something particularly special that you are put here to do," Mosby said.

Cardwell said they're seeing the program make a difference.

"We probably have half a dozen to 10 stories we could tell of improvement that we've seen in kids," Cardwell said.

Dr. Cardwell said they are looking to get this program into all middle schools in Lynchburg.

"Our mantra is every kid is an asset and every adult should be an asset developer. I don't think that we just bemoan what's happening in our city, but we do need all hands on deck," Cardwell said.

He also said there are two other aspects of the program. One is partnerships with other organizations in the community where they reach hundreds of other kids like the Jubilee Family Development Center, Iron Lives, Beacon of Hope, and the Peacemakers. He said they also head up the 40 Ways Coalition, a group of about 35 governmental, civic, community, and faith-based organizations that are working to address gun and gang violence in the city.