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Workforce Innovation HRYC Grow Our Own
and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Scholarship Program
ELITE is working in conjuction with Moonlight Coalition Hope Renewed Youth Conference (HRYC) and ELITE Youth
to help young people ages 16-24 who are low income Outreach formed a partnership in summer of 2014. While
and/or school drop-outs, homeless, pregnant or ELITE prepares young people through in-school training,
parenting, who require additional assistance to HRYC is an annual 3-day fun-filled educational event for
complete an education program. Moonlight Coalition youth ages 11-18 that takes place in the month of June in
is preparing them to earn their GED, while ELITE is Peoria, IL.
conducting an accelerated 6-week ELITE program with Beginning in 2017, HRYC focus will change from mentoring
an emphasis on eliminating employment barriers.
young people; to providing scholarship support for those
young people who commit to returning to Peoria and
Call for details on 2017 WIOA classes. For more details working in Peoria Public Schools or for the Peoria Police
on Moonlight Coalition, see page 81. Department for a minimum of 3 years.
The goal is to stop losing the talent once they graduate
from college of our young inner-city people of color, as
well as to increase the diversity of both the Peoria Public
Schools and Peoria Police Department.

For more information contact Sherry Cannon at
cannon095@gmail.com.

CHARACTER MATTERS

Gangfree Training The businesses you see listed here form our “Ring of Hope”
and support the Character Matters portion of our COP
ELITE Compliance Officers are now certified to train program. Billboards with each business name/logo and a
evidenced-based best practices in gang prevention character value are displayed around the RiverPlex Arena. The
from grades two through high school. This training is an revenue from these businesses directly funds our Community
extension of the ELITE Don’t Start Initiative. Outreach Program. Call 282-1510 for details.

The vision of GangFree is to prevent young people from
joining gangs, with its mission being to eliminate the
base of gang membership by having a generation of
young people say “no” to gangs and “yes” to positive
lifestyles.

Peoria Flag and Decorating
Nationwide there are an estimated 31,000 gangs, with a
membership of over 850,000. In Peoria there are more
than 20 identified gangs with more than 500 identified
gang members.

ELITE is pro-actively working to decrease and eventually
eliminate gang recruitment of our young people. We
encourage other agencies and youth programs to call
the ELITE office at 282-1510 to schedule your training Keystone Steel & Wire Co.
and to inquire about our fee structure.

Community Outreach Department
2017 Winter Playbook 83