A youth summit next month plans to take on one of the most important issues in Harrisburg—crime and gun violence in the community.
Council member Jocelyn Rawls and the Kappa Omega chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity are organizing an event called #OurLivesMatter, which will offer city youth a forum to engage in conversations with city police, Dauphin County judges and other community leaders.
“It is time to get feedback from our youth and young adults to see what we as a community can do to help them combat the recent rise in crime within Harrisburg,” Rawls said.
The summit is being organized to give Harrisburg youth a chance to talk about the violence they’re witnessing and experiencing, which also impacts their friends and family, Rawls said. She added that she hopes a setting with open dialogue will lead to solutions on ways to curb the recent crime spike in the city.
The teen summit will take place Wednesday, May 18, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Camp Curtin Academy, 2900 N. 6th St., Harrisburg. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is needed, but there is a 100-person capacity limit.
Rawls said that she also hopes to get 11 to 15 students and young adults to participate as panelists. Students from 11 to 21 years old who would like to be a panelist for the event are asked to contact Rawls at JRawls@HarrisburgPA.gov.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to join their children at the event, Rawls said.
“It takes a village to build a community that is safe and productive,” Rawls said. “Let’s start working together.”
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