Community Champions

Our free, quarterly violence prevention trainings are open to Minneapolis residents.

Be a Community Champion

Do you want to help curb violence in your community but not sure how you can? Attend a Minneapolis Violence Prevention Community Champion (MVPCC) Institute training.   

The MVPCC Institute training is:

  • Free
  • Open to adults who live or work in Minneapolis
  • One 5-hour training session
  • Held on a Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • Offered roughly every 3 months
  • Held at various locations in Minneapolis

The MVPCC Institute focuses on:

  • Promoting understanding topics
  • How to be actively engaged in violence prevention in the community

All the material includes a lens of racial equity and the social determinants of health.

Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the training.

people in classroom attending violence prevention training

Upcoming MVPCC Spotlight training

June 8 2SLGBTQIA+ allyship and advocacy training

This spotlight training’s focus is on an introduction to 2SLGBTQIA+ allyship and advocacy. It will be led by C Michael Menge (they & he) from OutFront Minnesota. They are the Community Advocacy & Training Specialist at OutFront Minnesota’s Anti-Violence Program.

There will be an introduction to allyship and learning the barriers 2SLGBTQIA+ people face when trying to access advocacy services. 

We will also cover:

  • Key concepts and terms
  • Ways to provide support at work and in your communities

North Regional Library

1315 Lowry Ave N

Find on Google maps

Date

Thursday, June 8

Time

5 - 7 p.m. 

MVPCC Institute training

During the training

Participants will learn:

  • An understanding of what’s involved with preventing violence
  • Skills needed to engage in violence prevention
  • How to apply skills with a racial and social equity approach

Additionally, participants will learn:

  • An understanding of the public health approach to violence prevention
  • How negative experiences can impact a child’s development and response to stress
  • De-escalation and conflict resolution skills

After the training

Once you complete the training, you’ll be part of the community champions.  You’ll be prepared to start preventing violence in Minneapolis. There are continued opportunities for involvement.

Graduates will:

  • Receive a certificate of completion
  • Have access to violence prevention resources
  • Be invited to attend monthly spotlight trainings to continue to build your skills
  • Have continued support and networking opportunities with community champions

Past MVPCC Institute trainings

Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC)
University of Minnesota

May 21, 2022

Public Service Building
City of Minneapolis

Feb. 12, 2022

Franklin Library

Jan. 11, 2023

Brookdale Library

April 11, 2023

MVPCC Spotlight trainings

Are you interested in building your knowledge and skills in violence prevention? Join us for Minneapolis Violence Prevention Community Champions (MVPCC) Spotlight trainings.

Trainings are held eight times a year during non-MVPCC Institute months. (January, March, April, June, July, September, October and December.)

Trainings offered through MVPCC Spotlight may include:

Social justice

  • Historical trauma and violence prevention
  • Preventing violence impacting LGBTQIA+ young people
  • Racial justice and violence prevention
  • Recognizing and responding to sexual exploitation

Health and wellness

  • Authentic connections
    • Creating welcoming environments
    • Increase social connection
    • Reduce potential for conflict
  • Trauma awareness and resiliency
  • Training for trusted adults to strengthen their relationships with young people
  • Yoga, mindfulness, and violence prevention
  • Youth Mental Health First aid
  • Youth Suicide Prevention

Past spotlight trainings

Psychological First Aid

March 2022
Virtual training

Psychological First Aid (PFA) focused on training community members and professionals to support healthy recovery following a traumatic event.

Participants focused on:

  • The impact traumatic experiences can have on individuals
  • How burnout may impact frontline staff and first responders
  • The five pillars of the PFA framework and how to apply them
  • How to recognize when an individual needs to be referred to a mental health professional

How to be an askable adult

April 2022
North Regional Library

This training explored Positive Youth Development (PYD) principals. People attending learned how to have sensitive and courageous conversations with young people. Participants also:

  • Gained tips and tools
  • Learned about protective factors teens need to be happy and healthy

2SLGBTQIA+ Communities & Intimate Partner Violence; Scope, Prevention and Advocacy

June 2022
North Regional Library

This training defined intimate partner violence in Two-Spirit, LGBTQIA+ communities. The training focused on the following:

  • Tools for violence prevention
  • How to be a better advocate to 2SLGBTQIA+ victim survivors.
  • A sense of the scope of intimate partner violence in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities
  • A plan of action to make greater systemic change

Stop The Bleed

July 2022
City of Minneapolis Public Service Building

Traumatic injuries are often sudden and unexpected. Chances of survival after a traumatic injury increase if bleeding is stopped. Participants practiced bleeding control techniques led by experts.

Community gun violence prevention

Sept. 2022
Walker Library

Participants reviewed the history of Black gun ownership. Firearm safety education was presented as an essential piece of community gun violence prevention. This workshop was led from a lens of gun violence prevention in black communities.

Know your rights

Oct. 2022
Northeast Library

Everybody has basic rights under the US Constitution and civil rights laws. This workshop empowered and educated youth on the importance of protecting their rights. We also provided information on other restorative alternatives.

Trauma Informed Care

March 2023
North Regional Library

Trauma Informed Care belongs everywhere. Participants learned how to put trauma informed care into practice in daily interactions with others at:

  • Home 
  • Work
  • In the community

The workshop focused on how to properly heal in your work.
Participants learned to practice and understand why community care belongs everywhere.

CPR, first aid and AED

April 2023
Brookdale Library

Students learned how to properly perform CPR on an adult and on a child with feedback mannequins. Students also learned how to use an AED machine. 

Upon completion of the course, each student received a CPR card which is good for 2 years.

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Contact us

Office of Violence Prevention

 Facebook

Phone

612-673-2301

Address

Minneapolis Health Department
250 4th St. S., Room 510
Minneapolis, MN 55415

Office hours

8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday – Friday