Community & care
Prevention - Gang
Say It With Music gives young people a positive identity, sense of belonging, and creative outlet through Music STEAM Recording Programs and our interactive Psychological Effects of Music SEL books and assemblies that build decision-making, communication, positive peer relationships, and community connection as constructive alternatives. The SEL assemblies have been described as fun AND life-changing and transformational. Many directors use the Music STEAM Recording & Team Building Programs to create a song and music video for gang prevention campaigns.
Organizations may explore funding through OJJDP juvenile justice and youth prevention funding, community violence intervention funding, Title I and Title IV-A, and local or philanthropic youth-development grants.
FAQs
Straight answers.
Schools, community organizations, and youth-diversion programs searching for gang prevention programs for youth, gang prevention programs in schools, gang prevention curriculum, and gang prevention activities often want positive, engaging alternatives that build belonging, identity, and positive peer relationships for young people who may be at elevated risk. Say It With Music supports gang-prevention and positive youth development objectives — through Music STEAM Recording Programs, SEL School Assemblies, and SEL supplemental books — by reinforcing protective factors such as belonging, positive identity, mentorship, creative expression, and constructive alternatives to risky behavior. SIWM does not perform gang intervention or guarantee behavioral outcomes; it provides youth engagement and creative-development activities that can complement gang-prevention, gang-resistance, and youth-diversion programming.
SIWM offers Music STEAM Recording & Music Video Programs, SEL School Assemblies, and Psychological Effects of Music SEL supplemental books that schools, community organizations, and diversion programs can incorporate into a broader gang-prevention or youth-violence-prevention strategy. The programming provides a positive outlet, a sense of belonging, and creative skill-building.
SIWM supports gang prevention by strengthening protective factors — belonging, positive identity, positive peer relationships, and constructive creative outlets — that research associates with resilience against gang involvement. It provides an engaging alternative to risky behavior and complements gang-resistance and diversion programming led by qualified staff.
Organizations searching for gang prevention programs, gang prevention programs for youth, a gang reduction program, gang prevention strategies, a gang prevention curriculum, or gang prevention activities can use Say It With Music as a positive-engagement complement. SIWM’s Music STEAM Recording Programs and SEL School Assemblies provide belonging activities for students and leadership activities for students that build positive identity and peer connection — protective factors central to gang prevention — alongside a community’s core gang-resistance and diversion strategy.
Music offers status, belonging, and self-expression — needs that gang-prevention research identifies as central. SIWM’s Music STEAM Recording Programs channel those needs into a positive, collaborative, skill-building experience (songwriting, recording, production, audio engineering), giving youth a constructive identity and peer community. The SEL books reinforce self-awareness and decision-making.
Yes. SIWM programming can be delivered in middle and high schools, community-based organizations, afterschool programs, and, where appropriate, juvenile-justice diversion and prevention settings, in person or virtually.
Organizations commonly investigate OJJDP youth-gang and delinquency-prevention funding, Bureau of Justice Assistance / Department of Justice community-violence-intervention and youth-violence funding, and, in schools, Title I and Title IV-A for engagement and connectedness. These are potential categories; an organization would confirm with the grantee or fiscal agent whether a supplemental, positive-youth-development music and SEL resource is an allowable, evidence-informed activity.
How this program runs
Same SIWM work. Built for Prevention.
Start with the social emotional learning books. Add a keynote. Bring a recording program when you want participants writing and performing — we produce the song and video.
Aligned with prevention priorities by strengthening protective factors, positive decision-making, healthy coping and peer connection. Youth use music and media to develop prevention messages while building SEL, leadership, resilience and community awareness. CASEL 5 SEL competencies; SAMHSA prevention framework & protective factors; trauma-informed, strengths-based practice; National Core Arts (Music/Media Arts).
Send a request and tell us this is a Prevention site.
The Psychological Effects of Music
SEL books & curriculum
SEL books by Ava Johnson plus keynotes for the same rooms.
Ava the Aviator
Keynotes & assemblies
Interactive talks on the science of sound and the psychology of music.
The studio
Recording & music video program
Participants write and perform. We record, produce, and film.