Task force hears Bloomberg Harvard study findings; recommends youth skills training and a citywide events app

Portsmouth — Presenters for the Bloomberg Harvard initiative briefed the Scribe and Gun Violence Prevention Task Force on research that focused on youth violence and delivered two primary recommendations: a youth skills training program and a single citywide community-events app to centralize program listings.

The initiative team told the task force the work began in late 2021 and moved through a roughly 10‑month learning process in early 2022 that used design‑based innovation and community co‑design. The team said its 3‑week research sprint included roughly 14 stakeholder interviews, 12 stakeholder observations and 16 literature reviews to surface themes and test prototype ideas.

The study team framed three recurring needs from residents and youth: more youth skills, more positive outlets and safe places, and more positive adult role models. From those themes the team presented four insights: parents fear for children’s safety in some neighborhoods; many youth lack skills to express emotions and resolve conflict; residents are becoming desensitized to violence; and older youth are frequently caring for younger siblings, sometimes pushing them toward older peer groups that normalize criminal activity. The team proposed prototypes intended to address those specific dynamics.

Presenters described two prototype directions staff recommend exploring further. One is a youth skills‑training program built with input from young people and local partners; examples already in place locally that could be scaled include a youth fire academy, the Portsmouth Police Athletic League and school CTE partnerships. The other is a single community app that would list city, faith‑based and nonprofit programs, link to registration and youth job postings, and make it easier for parents and teens to find activities. Presenters noted the app’s design and a vetting process for city‑endorsed listings would still require app developers and a governance plan.

The presentation included a recorded excerpt of youth interviews used in the research: "It's hard to be a kid in this city. I can't go outside because violence is everywhere." The project lead and other presenters emphasized that many youth feared retaliation if they spoke on camera, and the excerpt was played from an interview transcript.

Councilman and task force members questioned how the Bloomberg Harvard recommendations would align with existing efforts. City council liaison Councilman Hugo said the Bloomberg Harvard team has “stood down” after producing the report; Portsmouth United and other local groups have picked up aspects of the recommendations, including the app, while the youth skills recommendation is paused pending local follow‑up. Presenters and several commissioners urged using the report as a template and updating its research with current data.

The task force did not take formal action on the Bloomberg Harvard recommendations at the meeting. Several commissioners emphasized committees should use the report to map gaps and overlaps with other entities and to guide next steps.

Next steps identified in the presentation included recruiting community partners to build youth skills programming, finalizing app design and vetting processes, and using the design/playbook approach to repeat testing and improvement. Presenters pointed to Chattanooga as a peer example and recommended task force members and staff review the full Bloomberg Harvard final report for detailed organization mapping and recommended metrics.