Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2021

Degree Type

Capstone - Open Access

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Education

Instructor/Advisor

Audrey Falk

Second Advisor

Melissa Nemon

Abstract

Even though there seems to be a good number of youth programs that focus on youth street gang prevention, there is a shortage of programs that offer opportunities so youth can leave street gangs and promote a street gang-free lifestyle (Young & Gonzalez, 2013). The workshop, Obstacles of Leaving Street Gangs, intended to engage local community residents and organizations who do youth programming in a meaningful discussion about street gangs and the obstacles to leave and also share personal stories of people who have successfully left street gangs. This workshop also meant to share resources that help with these obstacles. It was found that even though every participant who responded to the post-workshop survey has some level of higher education (Bachelors, Masters, trade school training, and Associates), and some of them (42.9%) even work in organizations that deal with street gangs, they still have a lot to learn about street gangs and how they work. This workshop also highlighted the importance of storytelling for social justice workshops like this one because they seem to help humanize street gang members and help the participants empathize with them.

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