Safe and Smart: Making After-School Hours Work for Kids - June 1998

A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Communities Meeting the Need for
After-School Activities


The Milwaukee Project
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Contact: Sue Kenealy, 414-935-7868

The Milwaukee Project is a U.S. Department of Justice Weed and Seed site, in which law enforcement, community-based organizations, and residents work together to improve their neighborhood. The Milwaukee Public Schools system collaborates with local groups to provide Safe Havens at three neighborhood sites. Approximately 8,300 youth participate in Safe Haven after-school programs. The programs provide homework and tutoring assistance, recreational activities, games, choir, arts and crafts, and computer skills.

The Safe Havens involve the police department in program planning, and also encourage students to participate in the Police Athletic League. The programs have played a role in the reduction in the crime rate in areas with a Safe Haven by providing youth with alternative activities during high-risk hours for delinquency. In the 15 months following inception of the program, the crime rate dropped by 20.7 percent in the areas with the neighborhood sites.

The rate of violent offenses in these areas dropped by 46.7 percent during the same time period.[118]
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[The Lighted Schools Project] [Table of Contents] [The MOST Initiative (Making the Most of Out-of-School Time)]