Our Work

Goals and Objectives

All goals and objectives were determined utilizing input provided by the community at various strategic planning workshops. The Stand Up For Peace team used the CDC’s prevention strategies to guide the process and built our approach on an understanding of existing strengths and areas of improvement. All proposed goals, objectives, and activities will directly align with one or more of the CDC’s recommended strategies.

Strategy 1: Connect Young People to Caring Adults and Activities

Young people who feel supported and hopeful for the future are less likely to engage in violent or destructive behaviors. However, for many young people in our community, this level of connection is missing. When connecting young people to caring adults, we promote positive relationships, improve academic performance, and reduce their risk of being involved in violent activities by: 

  • Promoting emotional well-being and social belonging.
  • Modeling constructive behavior and teaching conflict-resolution strategies.
  • Connecting young people to job training and opportunities, educational programs, or personal areas of interest.

Current Strengths

  • Strong Infrastructure: Established mentoring programs and services in the community provide a network of caring adults.
  • High Impact: Programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cedar Rapids and East Central Iowa demonstrate proven outcomes with high retention rates and educational and behavioral benefits.
  • Financial Commitment: Funding reinforces community support for mentoring, offering opportunities for program expansion, sustainability, and leveraging partnerships.

Areas for Improvement

  • Enhance the Volunteer Pool: Mentoring programs in the community are experiencing long waitlists, highlighting the urgent need for additional volunteer mentors.
  • Embed Life-Skills and Anti-Violence Messaging: Identifying opportunities to integrate anti-violence messaging into existing mentoring programs.

Economic well-being provides the foundation for family security and reduces youth exposure to community violence. Strengthening financial security at the individual and household level enhances neighborhood stability and safety and reduces community violence by:

  • Ensuring basic needs are met and reducing negative impacts associated with economic hardship.
  • Promoting access to employment opportunities and addressing barriers to workforce participation.
  • Breaking cycles of violence that may be the key factor for a young person deciding to walk away from a violent friendship, relationship, or other situation.

Current Strengths

  • Mentoring and Reentry Support: Linn County offers robust reentry support through various programs and excels in connecting individuals with employment, housing, and transportation.
  • Childcare and Early Education: The Linn County Child Development Center is an asset in serving low-income families and children, supporting working parents and early education success. The center maintains small class sizes and provides meals and parent education.

Areas for Improvement

  • Strengthen Transitional Supports: Services for youth exiting juvenile detention or the foster system are in place, but further vocational training and life skills integration is needed.
  • Gaps in Economic Supports: Despite ongoing efforts, gaps in economic security remain, with many avoiding higher-paying jobs to prevent the cliff effect, where small income gains result in major losses in public aid.
  • Barriers to Employment: Transportation, childcare, working hours, and passing initial screening processes are common barriers to employment. In an ever- changing job market, many entry-level positions now require substantial credentials, certifications, or specialized training. Without access to affordable education or training, many are unable to meet employer qualifications.

A quality education not only builds academic knowledge, but also nurtures social, emotional, and vocational skills that are essential for long-term success. These capabilities are highly sought by employers and directly translate into career readiness. When social-emotional learning is embedded into education, community violence is reduced by:

  • Addressing underlying factors that impact literacy and differences in learning.
  • Creating safe and supportive learning environments that promote a culture of anti-violence, support students at risk for violence, and work with family and community members.
  • Developing social and emotional skills that are critical in preventing and resolving conflict.

Current Strengths

  • Cedar Rapids Community School District Investments: The CRCSD is making significant investments to prioritize student safety and well-being. These investments include increasing the number of Social Emotional Behavioral Health (SEBH) Intervention Specialist positions, Safety Liaisons, Elementary Student Safety and Success Advocates, a district SEBH Interventionist team, and more.
  • Vocational Individualized Training and Learning (VITAL): Kirkwood and the Grant Wood Area Education Agency support VITAL, a program designed to meet the individual needs of high school special education students transitioning to post-secondary education.
  • Apprenticeships and Trades Training: The Cedar Rapids Electrical Apprenticeship Training Center trains over 240 apprentices in electrical and telecommunications trades. These opportunities are supported by local unions and linked with Kirkwood training.

Areas for Improvement

  • Staff Supports: Recent teacher surveys from Washington, Kennedy, and Jefferson High Schools indicated many staff are feeling undervalued and overwhelmed. This survey further indicated that nearly half of respondents were considering leaving the district. This survey points toward the urgent need for changes to support staff. Adequate staff are needed in order to properly support students and create the kind of environment that neutralizes violence.
  • Professional Development: Effective social emotional learning relies on clear frameworks and training. Professional development opportunities prioritizing social emotional learning should be implemented. Further understanding of available frameworks may also support reducing the use of physical restraints.

Preventing future risk should include intervening after incidents of violence to support those affected as well as halt the ripple effects that may result in further violence. When the community steps in to mediate conflict, offer support, and connect individuals to resources and healing pathways, they disrupt cycles of retaliation and build trust where fear once prevailed. This kind of early engagement prioritizes care rather than punishment and reduces community violence by:

  • Utilizing de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, and the voice of the community.
  • Addressing social determinants of health and related factors contributing to community violence.
  • Building trust and strong relationships with individuals involved in or at risk for violence
  • Offering positive opportunities as an alternative to partaking in violent activity.

Current Strengths

  • Funding: Funds awarded by the CDC that support the work of Stand Up For Peace have been instrumental in shifting social norms and preventing community and youth violence.
  • Strong Workshop Infrastructure and Partnership: Established partnerships play a key role in preventing community violence. Bringing diverse sectors to the table supports a unified, community-centered response that is more effective, sustainable, and equitable.
  • Accessible Support: A wide range of supportive services are available through multiple avenues, including street outreach and mobile crisis response. Outreach workers connect with individuals directly and build trusting relationships by offering personalized supports.

Areas for Improvement

  • Community Awareness: Lack of awareness about Stand Up For Peace and its work continues to limit community engagement.
  • Capacity: Many efforts in the community are constrained by the availability and flexibility of funding and staffing. Without adequate funding the availability and sustainability of community resources is impacted.
  • Enhance Cultural Responsiveness: Services should continue to invest in culturally relevant programming, language access, and leadership from historically underserved communities. Some members of the community may be hesitant to engage due to past experiences of systemic discrimination.

Many individuals at risk for involvement in violence have faced multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including trauma, neglect, or exposure to violence. Without support, these experiences can significantly impact emotional regulation, decision-making, and future opportunities. Communities that build safe supportive environments and foster strong healthy relationships support young people as they heal, feel valued, and envision positive futures. Creating protective environments and promoting healthy relationships reduce community violence by:

  • Modifying the physical environment to reduce risk factors.
  • Promoting social norms that discourage violence, strengthening social connections, and teaching conflict resolution skills.
  • Reducing exposure to harmful community conditions and maintaining green spaces that promote well-being and reduce environmental factors contributing to crime.

Current Strengths

  • Safe Housing: Linn County Public Health’s Safe Home Program works with Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity and HACAP to provide eligible low-income households with healthy home repairs. These repairs can reduce environmental stressors linked to trauma and behavioral risk. Additionally, the Landlord and Tenant Incentive Pilot program has successfully connected 14 tenants, who were previously unsheltered, with safe and stable housing.
  • Community Green Spaces: Linn County Conservation is actively expanding trail systems, providing residents with safe, accessible green spaces that encourage recreation, strengthen social connections, and help replace or prevent the development of vacant or hazardous structures. The City of Cedar Rapids manages over 300 public lots for community gardening and has expanded its urban agriculture ordinance. These efforts not only reduce the amount of underutilized land but also increase opportunities for residents to engage with their neighborhoods and grow their own food in safe, supportive environments.

Areas for Improvement

  • Expand Access to Gun Locks and Education: Several organizations and businesses in Linn County offer gun safety and training courses for the Iowa Permit to Carry course and other gun handling courses. However, there are few organizations who provide free gunlocks or age-appropriate safety education to children who live in a home with a gun.
  • Increase Youth-Centered Space: There are few areas in the County that are centrally located, low or no cost, and safe for youth and young adults to gather at after school or on weekends. Investments in youth hubs or teen centers can prevent isolation and reduce risk of harm.
  • Prioritizing Belonging: Culturally responsive services and youth leadership opportunities are needed to ensure that youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, immigrant/refugee families, and system-involved youth feel included in their community.