VIOLENCE PREVENTION, YOUTH ADVOCACY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation
Mission Overview
The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, formerly, The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the epidemic of violence and advocating for the welfare of youth and community safety across the United States.
We believe that reversing the growing "Culture of Violence" requires a proactive, multi-level strategy focused on Prevention, Advocacy, and Cultural Change. We work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to implement scalable, sustainable solutions in schools, communities, and legislative forums, ensuring our efforts are focused on long-term prevention rather than response.
Originally established in 2022, our foundation was founded in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Today, we've undergone a major strategic transformation to better align our identity with our national mission, now operating as The Youth Peace & Justice Foundation.
This new name reflects our proactive, forward-looking strategies that extend beyond school walls to address violence in all its manifestations across our communities.
We tackle the cultural roots of violence through three core, high-impact program pillars:
* Violence Prevention & Training: We deliver verifiable anti-violence training, including our national R.I.P. (Recognize-Intervene-Prevent) Model, designed to foster a culture of active prevention among youth, staff, and parents. This pillar also includes our National Bullying Prevention Program, which uses a restorative justice approach focused on repairing harm and reintegrating young people rather than solely relying on punitive measures.
* Youth Advocacy & Legislative Action:
Specific Legislative Focus: Unlike broad policy organizations, YPJF couples its legislative advocacy directly to highly specific, recent crises (e.g., the daycare tragedy informing "Conrad's Law"). This strategy leverages current events to drive narrowly defined, actionable policy change (Daycare Safety, Whistleblower Protection, etc.).
We dedicate resources to state and federal lobbying efforts, including as official lobbyists in the State Of Missouri; to advance youth safety laws, including drafting specific legislation such as "Conrad's Law" and "Ahmir's Law."
Crucially, we support the future of young people through various scholarship programs given directly to youth to empower them to pursue education and community leadership, reinforcing our commitment to their long-term welfare.
* Community Crisis Support/Dual Crisis Response:
The foundation maintains both a proactive cultural change model (R.I.P.) and an immediate, operational 24-Hour Community Crisis Response for violence, disaster relief, and even unique missing children cases.
This scope is broader than typical school-based anonymous reporting systems and positions YPJF as a rapid-deployment resource for holistic community trauma.
Our specialized teams, uniquely comprised of both peer and professional interventionists; provide critical resources and support for all youth-related crises.
By streamlining our operations and focusing solely on these core pillars, we ensure every resource directly benefits America’s youth and the quality of life in their communities.
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FALL 2025 Evaluation/Tracking Program Success Model CLICK HERE
We are committed to transparency and accountability, adopting a higher standard of financial disclosure (Form 990 filing) and reforming our governance.