Miami-Dade County Community Violence Intervention Initiative (CVI)

On July 19, 2022, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, pursuant to Resolution No. R -701-22, unanimously approved Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava's plan to invest $8,943,000 in the Community Violence Intervention (CVI) initiative.

Miami-Dade County has allocated $8,943,000 to build and strengthen Miami-Dade County's CVI infrastructure, which includes:

$7,295,560 to the Supporting Safer Communities (SSC) Grant Program, which is managed by the Carrie Meek Foundation. This program funds community organizations and grassroots groups focused on:
- Reentry services
- High-risk intervention work
- Mental health, trauma and wellness
- Capacity building and training and technical assistance through a competitive process
$465,000 in direct funding to the Together for Children network to hire natural helpers and the Melissa Institute for Violence Intervention to provide trauma informed care training to credible messengers, high risk interventionists, and youth coaches and community volunteers
$375,000 to award 150 Peace & Prosperity college and post-secondary scholarships
$100,000 to the Office of Neighborhood Safety to support violence prevention efforts and events throughout the County

The remaining funds were allocated to the Carrie Meek Foundation for managing and administering the program.

The Peace & Prosperity Empowerment through Education Scholarship is a component of the Miami-Dade County Community Violence Intervention Initiative that supports college-bound young adults who are directly or indirectly impacted by gun violence achieve their higher education goals.

The Office of Neighborhood Safety will award 75 scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each that will be paid directly to colleges and universities on behalf of the scholarship recipients.

Who Can Apply
Miami-Dade County residents, graduating from high school on or before Aug. 1, with an unweighted grade-point average of 2.0 or above and attend an accredited college or university in the fall semester.

Only one scholarship application will be accepted per applicant. Submitting multiple applications or an incomplete application may result in disqualification.

Timeline
- Application opens February 14
- Application deadline has passed.
- Scholarship awards announced in June
Requirements
If selected for a Peace & Prosperity Empowerment through Education Scholarship award, the following documents must be submitted to the Office of Neighborhood Safety within 10 days of notice:
- Proof of Miami-Dade County residency
- Final high school transcript
- Proof of college or university acceptance or admittance
- Fall 2024 class schedule
- Supporting documents for selection included in the application
For inquiries, questions or more information email [email protected].
The Supporting Safer Communities (SSC) Grant Program is a CVI initiative and a collaboration between Miami-Dade County's Office of Neighborhood Safety, Office of Management and Budget and the Carrie Meek Foundation. The SSC works to:
- Increase the availability of resources that support residents impacted by violence and improve safety in their neighborhoods
- Increase access to, and use of, services that address the root causes of violence in communities and help residents thrive
- Mobilize and activate residents to engage with projects and initiatives that build safer and supportive communities across the County
- Support and amplify efforts that have a positive impact on violence reduction
For more information, email [email protected] or call 305-537-6791.