In a year of HAI anniversaries, 2004 also marks the tenth anniversary of its violence prevention programs. In response to a growing trend of violence in New York City public schools in the early and mid 1990's, HAI staff member Elizabeth Siggins, along with facilitator/ actor Daniel Carlton, set out to adapt the work HAI was doing with role-play and HIV/AIDS prevention to address youth violence. With a grant from Pfizer, Inc. in 1994, the Youth Leadership and Education Program, as it was renamed, was born.

Although an HIV/AIDS prevention education/role-play model existed at the time, there were particular challenges to making this model work for violence prevention.

Elizabeth Siggins recalls: "These were much tougher issues to get the kids to really open up about. On HIV prevention…we knew the information that we were trying to transfer to them. On violence prevention, it wasn't that we had information that we were trying to transfer to them. We had skills and ways of thinking that we wanted them to explore... It was really about trying to get the young people to explore these issues and tell us what they knew and then for us to give them a space where they can explore alternative ways of dealing with confrontational situations."

The first pilot workshop series took place at the High School of Graphic Communication Arts and targeted students who were referred to mediation for aggressive behavior. The success of these first workshops, which helped to shape the future of the program, was attributed to the talent, heart and soul of the HAI facilitator/actors Daniel Carlton and Benja K. Little; and the amazing openness of the students, many of whom became HAI's first Peer Educators.

Ms. Siggins says that acting as Peer Educators had a profound impact on the youths involved. Their transformation was often dramatic and inspirational. "Many of [the original Peer Educators] didn't think they'd live past 20” That changed, Ms. Siggins reports, when they realized they could make a real difference in their communities. “When you start thinking about your future and working with people who are older than you, who respect you and believe in you and have dreams for you…you start having those for yourself."

Ms. Siggins is Assistant Secretary for Juvenile Justice Policy at the California Youth Authority. She holds a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Evolution of the Program in Pictures

1994 The first violence prevention workshop takes place at the High School of Graphic Communication Arts. Photo: Dona Ann McAdams 1998 Speaker Forums feature prominent personalities as role models. Shown: Actor Tiny Lister with Peer Educators at a Speaker Forum. Photo: Pablo T. Nieves. 1998 HAI collaborates with Y.E.S. (Mayor’s Commission of Youth Empowerment Services) to intensively train 13 youths (below) in Violence Prevention. Photo: Paula Court. 1999 Peace by Peace, a Violence Prevention program incorporating a theatrical presentation and interactive workshops, is created. Shown: Peace by Peace is made into a film version in 2002. Photo: Eddie Miranda. 2001 Respect is written and performed by youth participants under the direction of George Faison Shown: James Lilley in Respect. Photo: Keith Jacoby. 2002 Loss & Gain created (not shown). 2003 The first annual Peer Educator retreat is held. Shown: Peer Educators unpack at retreat. Photo: Carolyn Feidel

Past and Present Funders of this Program include:
Pfizer, Inc.
NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
Natural Heritage Trust of New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Offices of Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan Borough Presidents
New York State Office of Mental Health
Mayor's Commission on Youth Empowerment Services (Y.E.S)
Theatre Communications Group
NYC Department of Cultural Affairs
Ford Foundation
Starr Foundation
Schnurmacher Foundation
Tribune New York Foundation
Laura B. Vogler Foundation