Louisville OSHN program working to prevent youth violence through one-stop resource

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville group is trying to prevent youth violence by keeping kids busy through a website that is a one-stop shop for resources in the city.

The YES! Direct website isn't up and running yet, but it will provide a map with red dots marking where there are resources available to kids. It's in its early stages of being developed, and organizers want more dots on the map by this summer.

Louisville YES Program — The YES! Direct website isn't up and running yet, but it will provide a map with red dots marking where there are resources available to kids. It's in the early stages of development by the Youth Engagement Services (YES) Division at the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN). (WDRB photo/Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024)

"We want to make it so that people who are busy, people who are overwhelmed, people who are unsure, have a place that they can go to find what they need wherever it is," said Bethany Olson, Youth Services supervisor for the Youth Engagement Services (YES) Division at the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods (OSHN).

The YES Division is putting the program together, a department working with Louisville kids focusing on violence prevention.

"The fact is that these things do exist in our city," said Olson. "There are a lot of people who work hard to serve the youth in our community, and it's just a lot that goes unnoticed and unknown."

The website is for parents looking for things for their kids to do, like sports or summer camps, or even something like a counselor or an educational setting. They'll be able to look for a category that fits, or simply type in their zip code, to see what there is to offer near them.

"We become the Amazon of youth development, where we're bringing in all of these service organizations in one spot," said Rene Douglas, program manager for Youth Engagement Services.

The red dots on the map mark a resource or group that has submitted an application to be included. But organizers at OSHN can't do it alone, and are asking for help. If you work for an organization that helps kids in any way, they want to hear from you.

"We want every organization in the city to be represented in this database," Olson said. "We want people to be able to find it. We want a directory that is accessible and full."

To have your organization considered, email yes@louisvilleky.gov or click here for more information and a link to apply.

The group hopes to have the website up and running by the summer.

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