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Central State University
1400 Brush Row Road P.O. Box 1064
Wilberforce, OH 45384
(937) 376-6453
(937) 376-6598

As Ohio's only public historically black college or university, Central State University (CSU) has been engaged in numerous efforts to work with minority youth. In addition, from 1994 to 2006, Central State University served in a cooperative agreement as the prime contractor in what was, at that time, the largest youth violence prevention initiative ever funded by OMH.

K.R.U.N.K.E.D. (Keepin' It Real through Unity, Nonviolence, Kreativity, Education, and Determination) 4 Life (K4L)
$884,072
Jimmy Cunningham
(937) 376-6453
jcunningham@centralstate.edu

Abstract

The purpose of the K.R.U.N.K.E.D. (Keepin' it Real through Unity, Nonviolence, Kreativity, Education and Determination) 4 Life (K4L) project is violence prevention in minority communities, namely among African-American male youth. Violence among African-American youth and African-American males is a major issue in Dayton, Ohio. K.R.U.N.K.E.D. specifically targets a cohort of 30 African American ninth and tenth grade males from West Dayton. Program activities take place four days a week from 4 - 7:30 p.m. The program will connect a vast network of positive mentors, elders, and counselors to the youth. The program also utilizes the arts to offer profound opportunity to affect positive change in youth. Expected outcomes include academic enrichment, life skills and personal development, cultural enrichment, and career development. Performance measures used as indicators or project outcomes or impacts include increasing overall language art skills in at least 60 percent of youth by at least one grade point above the 2009 language arts grade point average, decreasing the number of violent or risky behaviors in at least 60 percent of youth by a rate 10 percent below the pretest mean score as measured by the Violence Risk Assessment Index and decreasing the number of risky health behaviors in at least 60 percent of participants at a rate 10 percent above the pretest mean score as measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The program evaluator will be responsible for the execution of the evaluation strategy. The evaluation strategy includes pre-tests administered at the beginning of each program year. In addition, every six months during the funding cycle, the evaluator will meet once with program youth and once with parents. Written transcripts of the focus groups will be produced and analyzed by the evaluator.