Charlotte Launches ‘The 704 Way’ To Empower Teens and Combat Youth Violence

Charlotte has launched a new advisory board, The 704 Way, to reduce violence. The aim is to get teens ages 13 to 18 involved in opportunities across the city. The City of Charlotte is working with My Brother's Keeper Charlotte and the Charlotte Office of Youth Opportunities on this.

The nonprofit is accepting applications through Feb. 15. The two-year program aims to provide internships and other opportunities for young people to shape what happens next in the city.

"The purpose of the board is to really think about what are positive ways that we can disrupt violence. There are so many cities around our country that have youth at the real table and not the kiddie table. So it is exciting to see Charlotte take those steps," said Ricky Singh to Queen City News.

The program comes as CMPD reported a 21% drop in violent crime in January. City officials see the board as another tool to keep crime rates down by preventing youth involvement in violence.

What will board members do? They'll focus on creating peaceful strategies and organizing neighborhood pop-ups. Singh said teens will help figure out how to uplift these approaches in their communities.

"So we are going to have youth really think about how do we uplift positive and peaceful strategies, and what are neighborhood pop-ups that can happen?" said Singh. "Our world is going to continue to get better by people like all of us doing our small parts. But the largest change is not going to come from me, it's going to come from the next generation."

The initiative puts young people in decision-making roles rather than token positions. Officials believe that this approach will create lasting change by giving teens real power to address violence in their neighborhoods.

Those interested in applying or learning more about the organization can visit mbkcltmecklenburg.org.