The U.S. Department of Justice has abruptly terminated a $3 million grant awarded to Dr. Michael McGee’s nonprofit, Project Outreach Prevention, which delivers vital violence prevention programs in schools across Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, and Merrillville. The decision comes just days before the organization was set to launch initiatives for National Youth Violence Prevention Week, leaving McGee and his team scrambling for alternative funding to continue their critical work with at-risk youth.
The grant funded programs that taught students essential skills such as conflict resolution and healthy decision-making, benefiting over 60 at-risk students weekly. McGee argues that the DOJ’s claims of ineffectiveness lack evidence, stressing that community intervention efforts significantly reduce gun violence and empower students to lead non-violent lives. With $1 million in funding now eliminated and half of the nonprofit’s staff positions at risk, the future of these essential programs hinges on urgent fundraising efforts.
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