Browsing by Author "Concepcion, Kya"

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    Gun Violence Prevention in Hennepin County
    (2023) Concepcion, Kya; McGee, Sean; Pults, Ben; Wahlberg, Maia
    Through Hennepin County’s newly created Safe Communities Division, the County partnered with a team of graduate researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs to better understand gun violence within the County, as well as strengthening gun violence prevention and intervention work. Our team’s research consists of an extensive literature review that details root causes of gun violence along with current gun violence prevention and intervention methods across the country. The research incorporates a mixed-methods approach of quantitative data to identify disproportionately affected areas of gun violence in the County, as well as qualitative data vis-à-vis interviews with community leaders, nonprofit representatives, local government officials, and law enforcement officers. These data work in tandem to improve the Safe Communities Division’s work by aligning its resources with highly successful and innovative strategies. The findings suggest that the County could support several effective solutions based on the qualitative data: leverage partnerships with community partners, convene community organizations, diversify funding strategy, and build capacity.
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    Phillips West Neighborhood Organization Community Asset Mapping
    (2021) Bruno, Alice; Concepcion, Kya; Geitz, Madeline; Voller, Vanessa
    In late 2020 - in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, racial justice uprisings, and internal transitions - the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization (PWNO) decided to take on a strategic planning process to reevaluate its work. The basis of this process was recommitting to a vision for where PWNO’s work is rooted in the expressed needs and desires of those who live, work, and go to school in the Phillips West neighborhood. The Phillips West Community Survey has been the cornerstone of this commitment. Starting in February 2021, a group of residents convened bimonthly as a Strategic Planning Committee to bring this survey into being, working both with PWNO staff and collaborators through the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). This resident-led committee co-designed the survey, offered guidance for its distribution, and pointed towards important questions for evaluation.