The program serves a diverse ethnic and gender group of individuals, ages 15 years and older, with or without special needs, such as autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), low, medium to high-risk of offending, with and/or without a history of arrest and/or incarceration. Participants may be low- to middle income, employed or non-employed, housed or without housing. The program will question whether there is a relationship between traumatic experiences, crime, gun violence and recidivism and whether Esports technology and the redress of traumatic events may reduce crime, gun violence and recidivism. The program will also provide services to victims of violence and crime. This is a Violence Prevention program.
The program will serve 300 participants over a 3-year period (July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025) engaging daily with Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), business sustainability taught via our Law and Esports class, and innovative Esports gaming practices. Participants will be taught, through the eyes of Esports and STEM, how to acquire lifelong employable technology skills applicable to real-life careers via Content Creation, Streaming, Intro to Music Production, Video Editing, Coding, and Streaming navigating Esports legalities, contracts, and compliance with industry demands, and much more. We have Outreach Specialists to assist in the recruitment and the retention endeavor.
We have a copyrighted Trauma Informed and Mentoring curricula attached to this program. The importance of Trauma awareness has risen over time as research shows substance use, mental health conditions, and other risky behaviors have been linked with traumatic experiences. These concerns can present challenges in relationships, careers, and other aspects of life. Given this information, it is important to understand the nature and impact of trauma on our daily lives and to explore healing to better navigate the world and our interactions with others. This program intends to break down the barrier and take away the power of trauma by providing a trauma informed and mentoring curriculum, that teaches the six principles of trauma-informed care and provides life skills that empower them for future success.
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) provides evidence- based research to help implement a trauma-informed care approach. Participants will learn SAMSHA’s six principles, which include Safety, Trustworthiness and Transparency, Peer Support, Collaboration and Mutuality, Empowerment and Choice, and Cultural, Historical, and Gender issues. Participants will go through a 12-week curriculum consisting of 3 modules with 4 group sessions per module. Each group session is scheduled for 2 hours with an average of 10 and a maximum of 15 participants. Questionnaires and evaluation tools will measure and demonstrate what participants have acquired via the curriculum and the evaluation tools will measure the risk levels and identify the types of ancillary services referred, needed, and completed.
Disclaimer: Funding provided in whole or in part by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Points of view or opinions contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or polices of the State of Illinois, or the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.
