Nine teenagers were honored earlier this week for completing life skills training and goal-setting exercises through 项目设想, which is a community violence intervention collaborative to steer youths away from gang activity.

毕业的有特雷冯特·布兰登、克莫里·迪克森、伊万·古兹曼、拉玛贾·普莱斯、杰登·普里切特、钱斯·罗宾逊、杰米卡·瓦格斯塔夫、小德里克·瓦尔登和达马里安·温布什。

“想象计划”的暴力预防经理罗伯特·大卫赞扬了毕业生们花时间来完成这个项目。

“None of you had to come here, but you made the decision (to go through the program) – and to me, that is powerful,” David said at the graduation ceremony on Wednesday. “That is why we take this time to celebrate your accomplishment (graduation). 生活是艰难的。 你不能认为任何事情都是理所当然的，即使是你的下一口气。 So, you took the time to say, ‘hey, I am going to do something different (with my life).’ We respect that.”

大卫说，每个人一生中可能都有一次在院子里散步时遇到一只狗。

“You knew that if you walked that way, that dog was going to chase you,” he said. “That’s how it is for these young people in the streets now. 当他们走上街头时，他们知道他们将不得不做出决定。 You can make the decision to walk down that path where you know the dog is at – where there is danger – or you can make a decision to avoid the dog. 这就是他们今天在这里所做的。 They have made the decision to change direction to avoid the dog.”

该项目通过发展和维持与导师的关系，以及关注不与执法部门接触、提高成绩、完成学业和就业等目标，引导青少年远离帮派活动。

作为项目的一部分，青少年接受基于能力的评估，使用凯西生活技能和克利夫顿能力工具。 这些工具是用来引导青年人走上健康、有成效的生活之路。

此外，还会指派一名想像计划外展工作者，为每位青少年提供至少一年的指导。 项目设想 staff tag the phrase “your new aunts and uncles,” meaning that they will serve as a support system for the youths.

Deputy City Manager Earl Reynolds encouraged the youths to stay focused and to respect “time.”

“Never think that you have all the time in the world – because you don’t” he said. “Never think that when you have an opportunity to do it (something positive) today that you can wait until tomorrow. 明天不能保证。 You may find yourself in a totally different situation tomorrow and that opportunity has gone away.”

Since the program’s inception, 18 classes, totaling more than 100 teens, have graduated.

“想象计划”是基于认知行为治疗的循证理论，如果青少年能够实施新的信息和标准，那么他或她就可以改变他们的行为。 The idea is that the program creates a positive "image" in the mind of the youth so that he or she can "Imagine" a life without gangs or crime.

参与“想象计划”的青少年是从警察局、法院、学校和家长推荐的人中挑选出来的。

“想象计划”获得了全国的认可。 2020年，大卫被国家帮派犯罪研究中心评为弗雷德里克·米尔顿·斯拉舍奖得主。 该奖项旨在表彰他在帮派预防和干预方面的成就。

The program also received the President’s Award from the Virginia Municipal League in October 2019.