The Challenge - Concerned by the fact that homicide is the leading cause of death among California's youth, the California Wellness Foundation funded The Violence Prevention Initiative, a public education campaign spearheaded by i.e. communications to: provide a message, voice and effective means for advocating the prevention of violence against youth; influence the Governor and state legislature to increase funding for state and local violence prevention initiatives; motivate and mobilize local agencies and organizations to demand support for violence prevention programs; and, promote media coverage that leads to broad public support for violence prevention.

Strategy & Advocacy to Prevent Violence - i.e. communications researched, drafted and coordinated a public education campaign featuring:

• Research, including voter polling, focus groups, county leader interviews, guided message and campaign strategy development, and three broad-based surveys conducted for, about and by youth.
  
• A Message: Choices for Youth-"When we give kids choices, we save kids' lives."
  
• Media, including wide media coverage of several public policy forums and youth surveys in California's largest media markets and television advertising designed to persuade voters that state spending on after-school activities prevents violence against youth.
  
• Opinion Leader Communications, including public policy forums in San Diego, Oakland, Fresno, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles convening policymakers, public safety officials, community leaders and youth advocates to create local strategies for violence prevention, and various other communications materials aimed at forging local, advocacy-based collaborations.

Results

• State funding for violence prevention increased from $41 million in 1997 to $370 million in 2001.
  
• California's top law enforcement officials and policymakers reinforce in media interviews the theme that prevention is the key.
  
• Increasingly, media coverage of school shootings incorporates discussions about the need for activities and choices for students.
  
• The Choices for Youth campaign won the Council of Foundation's prestigious Wilmer Shields Award and the Pollie Award from the American Association of Political Consultants.