The Summer Night Lights (SNL) initiative kicked off last week at 44 parks across Los Angeles. Led by the Mayor's Office of Community Safety, SNL is a vital safety strategy that brings engaging community events and activities to areas most impacted by violence. As violence tends to increase in the summer months, SNL is critical to revitalizing communities most isolated from social services by flooding parks with resources and services to increase cohesion and improve safety and health outcomes.

"We engage our team, we engage our community to make sure everyone's safe--that's what leaders do." - Ben "Taco" Owens, UPI Peace Fellow

Prior to the kick off, Urban Peace Institute trained lead community intervention workers and on-the-ground peacemakers to prepare for and implement this summer safety strategy. The trainings engaged attendees on best practices for leadership, communication and collaboration, as well as tools for ongoing personal and professional development. To learn more about UPI's call for reinvestment in Summer Night Lights, read the LA Peace Plan.