As part of the program, companies hire teens and young adults as summer employees.

The money will go towards helping the nonprofit organization expand its services, helping schools increase their capacity to address youth violence.

A local organization that helps prepare at-risk youth to become productive members of the community received more than $1.5 million to train young people for jobs in health care.

But leaders hope the funding is just the start of a marathon toward solving the problem.

Each agency will receive at least $300,000 as part of the Creating Structures of Support for System-Involved Youth funding opportunity.  

The grant was announced Monday morning at a news conference attended by local and state leaders. 

YouthBuild is an AmeriCorps program that gives dozens of young people the opportunity to learn about taking care of the community, the environment and themselves, through career readiness.