Community Violence Intervention
CVI Leadership Academy
Vice President Kamala Harris Recognizes the CVILA at White House Ceremony
On February 9, Vice President Kamala Harris recognized the work of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) at an event that acknowledged the accomplishments of its inaugural cohort at the White House.
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy is a first-of-its-kind program to train community violence intervention leaders from across America.
Challenge
American cities are facing a public safety crisis, and the urgent day-to-day work of saving lives falls primarily to two sectors, community violence intervention organizations, and police departments, that have historically lacked investment in human capital that has transformed other sectors. The CVI sector, in particular, is facing a resource shortfall, limiting its capacity to develop leadership skills.
Opportunity
To address this challenge, the Crime Lab established the Community Safety Leadership Academies (CSLA), an initiative focused on bringing the leadership and management practices of CVI and policing into the 21st century. Composed of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy and the Policing Leadership Academy, CSLA brings together CVI and police leaders for a rigorous education program on data-driven management, violence reduction, and community engagement. CSLA is the most ambitious and robustly evaluated public safety leadership and management training ever offered in the United States.
Project Overview
The Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) offers CVI leaders hands-on training in program management, staff development and retention, data literacy, evaluation, and more – ensuring CVI programs turn new funding into on-the-ground impact. The coursework combines the theoretical expertise of higher education experts with the real-world knowledge of community leaders and practitioners. Its purpose is to better prepare present and future CVI leaders with the skills, information, and training required to effectively lead organizations responsible with protecting community safety. The five-month curriculum combines classroom instruction with immersive learning labs. During the first cohort, CVILA students participated in immersive learning labs in Chicago, New York, and Oakland hosted by UCAN, Life Camp, and Live Free, respectively.
Watch this video about the inaugural cohort of the CVILA.
Year Started
2022 – present
Project Leads
Rodrigo Canales
Kelli Questrom Associate Professor of Management and Organizations Academic Director, Social Impact Program, Questrom School of Business
Alesisia Cobb
Program Manager, Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Mark Saint
Director of Curriculum and Learning
Kim Smith
Director of Programs
Chico Tillmon
Executive Director of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy
Arin Zwonitzer
Program Fellow
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Steering Committee and Curriculum Developers
View the members of the CVILA’s steering committee and curriculum developers.
Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy Week in Washington, D.C.
View highlights from the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024 including capstone presentations, meeting with policymakers, and the graduation event at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.
CVILA Immersive Lab in Oakland, California
Watch a recap of the CVILA Immersive Lab in Oakland, California.
Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Leadership Academy Spotlight
Watch violence prevention experts speak to the significance of our CVI Leadership Academy in this short video.
Steering Committee
A team of key community violence intervention leaders from across the country serve on the CVILA Steering Committee. These leaders helped craft a curriculum and aided in the academy’s development to provide participants with transferable skills, fostering well-rounded and skilled leaders within their communities and strengthening public safety, public trust, and equal justice.
Members
- Shani Buggs, Ph.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor, Violence Prevention Research Program, University of California Davis
- Dr. Antonio Cediel, Managing Director of Live Free USA
- Erica Ford, CEO and Founder of LIFE Camp
- Marcus McAllister, a national violence prevention expert
- Pastor Michael McBride, Executive Director of Live Free USA
- Oresa Napper-Williams, Executive Director of Not Another Child
- Anthony Smith, Executive Director of Cities United
- Dr. Chico Tillmon, Executive Director of the CVILA, University of Chicago Crime Lab
Watch this video about the CVILA’s week in Washington, D.C. in February 2024.
Watch this video about the Immersive Lab in Oakland, CA in January 2024.
Watch this short video on the significance of the CVILA from September 2024.
We stand as the nation’s first university to spearhead such an initiative, directly translating our research into action to combat community violence nationwide. Our graduates are living proof that academic rigor and community leadership can converge to forge significant, life-saving change. This program is a proud example of our commitment to creating safer communities through scholarly excellence and practical application.
University of Chicago President
Every time you make sure that we address the gun violence crisis not just from the angle of public safety—but also from the angle of public health—the work these graduates are doing will saves lives.
Maryland Governor
Thanks to CVILA’s leadership education, our graduates are primed to implement sustainable CVI solutions, paving the way for healthy, thriving communities.
CVILA Executive Director
Program benefits
- A 5-month CVI executive leadership development and management certificate program.
- 1 week per month of in-person learning; travel required.
- Instruction delivered by university faculty, non-profit, public sector, and private sector leaders.
- Learning alongside a national network of CVI leaders.
- Access to mentors and executive coaches to guide your personal development and organizational growth.
- Participation is free for those selected; the full cost of the program, including travel and tuition expenses, will be covered by the University of Chicago.
Eligibility
- Minimum five years of experience in the field of CVI.
- Currently hold a senior or executive-level position within a community-based CVI organization that serves Black and Brown Communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence.
- While there is no minimum educational level requirement, candidates must demonstrate a high degree of motivation and interest in enhancing their leadership skills and the impact of their work.
- Demonstrated experience implementing CVI strategies in alignment with the values and principles embraced by the CVI Academy.
- Commitment of support from current place of employment. It is preferred that candidates come from an organization with an annual budget of at least $300,000 and a minimum of three employees.
Modules
- Personal & Organizational Leadership
- Strategic Decision Making
- Building Healthy Communities
- Community Violence Intervention Strategies
- Community Engagement
- Operations & Management + Capstone Presentations
Latest Updates
A New Way To Address Gun Violence You’ve Never Heard Of | Opinion
Former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department Charlie Beck, Crime Lab Faculty Director Jens Ludwig, and CVILA Executive Director Dr. Chico Tillmon penned this Newsweek op-ed on the importance of raising awareness about community violence interventions and how they can be used to continue the gun violence reduction trends we saw in 2023.
Vice President Kamala Harris Recognizes the CVILA at White House Ceremony
On February 9, 2024 Vice President Kamala Harris recognized the work of the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA) at an event that will acknowledged the accomplishments of its inaugural cohort at the White House.
Exclusive: Biden White House readies week of events on combatting gun violence
In this exclusive by USA Today, Joey Garrison writes about The White House recognizing this week as Community Violence Awareness Week and the planned series of events which culminate with a White House ceremony to honor the 31 graduates of the inaugural cohort from the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy.
