Milwaukee City Wire

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is touting a new online service aimed at reducing youth violence in the city.

“The Office of Violence Prevention in partnership with Beyond the Bell Milwaukee launched 'Fall Into Fun,' an online resource with real-time events, employment and programming through youth-serving organizations for residents ages 11-24 and their families,” the mayor tweeted.

Beyond the Bell is "a collective impact coalition that prioritizes youth development with an out-of-school time focus," the organization said on its website. "Beyond the Bell engages partners in working groups that develop sector-driven strategies to increase the coordination and quality of programs and services for youth. Those three active working groups are Policy, Access and Quality."

Currently, the initiative is focused on youth ages 11-24. 

"This is a critical age group that is significantly under served in Milwaukee and cities across the country," it said. "Since 2013, partners have put forth a significant amount of work to explore national best practices, gather input from youth locally, and discuss the unique needs and opportunities for improving coordination of youth programs and services in Milwaukee."

On Fall Into Fun, users can sort jobs, events and programs by interest, age, date or location, the city said.

“As schools, businesses and entertainment venues reopen in Milwaukee, the pipeline of resources for young people has struggled to identify meaningful and purposeful ways to reconnect these critical programs and services to young people,” Arnitta Holliman, director of the Milwaukee Office of Violence Prevention said in a news release. “This can leave them vulnerable to harm, neglect, trauma and violence. The Fall Into Fun website addresses this need by offering easy access to opportunities and resources in our community.”