Monroe County Gets $4 Million To Fight Gun Violence With Youth Employment Programs

Governor Hochul announced that over $4 million had been awarded to Monroe County for Youth Employment Programs to support the state’s fight against gun violence. Studies show that at-risk youth are less likely to engage in violence if they have a job. With this in mind, Hochul announced her plan to combat gun violence among youth. By allocating $40 million to youth employment programs across the state, she hopes New York teens will be too busy building their future careers to fall into a life of crime. Local youth employment programs offer teens and young adults employment opportunities in the summer, but continuing these programs year-round can get quite expensive. But now, with the announcement of more funding available, the Center for Youth and RochesterWorks are excited for the potential increase in career development for teens and decrease in juvenile violence. In New York, from September 2024 to June 2025, more than 4,000 youth participated in the Youth Employment Program. Teens not only stayed out of trouble, but also contributed to their communities by working in school districts, libraries, camps, child care programs, and more. The 2025-2026 Youth Employment Program will operate from September 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. To be eligible for the program, youth must be between the ages of 14 and 20 and have a household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

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Source: Rochester First