Starter Playbook
Safe Passage & Violence Interruption
Corner watchers reduce violence and protect school attendance. Start volunteer-based ($3,300/year) or scale with Community Violence Intervention (CVI) grants ($50K-$250K) that create paying jobs for neighborhood residents.
What's Inside
Chicago CPS Safe Passage Program — Churches as CPS vendors providing corner watchers
Two models: Volunteer ($3,300/year) OR Funded ($50K-$250K with CVI grants)
Impact: Reduces violence, protects school attendance, stabilizes housing market
Job creation: CVI grants fund paying positions for formerly incarcerated and neighborhood residents
Church Example: Chicago CPS Safe Passage
How Chicago churches became CPS vendors providing corner watchers to protect students on their way to school
New Life Covenant & Fellowship Missionary Baptist
The Problem: Violence on the Way to School
In Chicago's South and West Side neighborhoods, the journey to school is often more dangerous than the school itself. Students walking to class cross gang boundaries, drug corners, and conflict zones. Fear of violence leads to chronic absenteeism—and chronic absenteeism is the single greatest predictor of dropping out.
When schools close or consolidate (as happened frequently in Chicago), students are forced to walk farther through unfamiliar territory, dramatically increasing their exposure to violence. Parents face an impossible choice: send your child to school through dangerous streets, or keep them home.
The Solution: Chicago Public Schools Safe Passage Program
In 2009, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) launched the Safe Passage Program: a network of "corner watchers" stationed at key intersections along designated walking routes to school. These watchers—identifiable by their bright yellow vests—provide a visible, adult presence that deters violence and reassures students and parents.
Churches became key vendors in this program. Organizations like New Life Covenant Church and Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church partnered with CPS to recruit, train, and deploy corner watchers from their congregations and neighborhoods.
How It Works: The CPS Vendor Model
- • CPS contracts with churches and community organizations to provide Safe Passage services
- • Churches recruit watchers from the congregation and broader community—often retirees, formerly incarcerated residents seeking employment, or parents
- • Watchers are paid part-time wages (typically $12-$15/hour) to stand on designated corners before and after school (7-9 AM, 2:30-4:30 PM)
- • Churches receive administrative fees from CPS to manage payroll, training, scheduling, and oversight
The Impact: Attendance, Safety, and Jobs
- → School attendance increased on Safe Passage routes, particularly for students who previously reported feeling unsafe
- → Violence incidents decreased along designated routes during school hours
- → Jobs were created for neighborhood residents—at its peak, the program employed hundreds of watchers across the city
- → Churches strengthened community ties and became visible partners in public safety
- Volunteer Model Cost
- $3,300/year (vests, training, coordination)
- Funded Model Budget
- $50K-$250K (CVI grants, CPS contracts)
- Economic Impact
- Jobs created, attendance protected, housing values stabilized
Two Models: Volunteer vs. Funded
Model 1: Volunteer Walking School Bus
Best for: Churches without funding who want to start immediately
How It Works
- • Volunteer "bus drivers" (adults) walk a designated route, picking up children at set meeting points
- • Children join the "bus" as it passes their home, creating safety in numbers
- • Volunteers wear bright vests for visibility
Annual Budget: $3,300
| Safety vests (50) | $500 |
| Background checks | $800 |
| Training materials | $300 |
| Liability insurance | $1,200 |
| Marketing/flyers | $500 |
| Total | $3,300 |
Model 2: Funded CVI Program
Best for: Churches with organizational capacity to manage grants and payroll
How It Works
- • Church applies for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) grants from city, state, or federal sources
- • Grant funds paid corner watchers ($12-$15/hour) to stand on designated corners before and after school
- • Church receives administrative fees to manage program
Annual Budget: $50K-$250K
| Watcher wages (10-30 FTE) | $40K-$200K |
| Program coordinator (1 FTE) | $45K-$60K |
| Training & certification | $3K-$8K |
| Equipment & supplies | $2K-$5K |
| Administrative overhead | $5K-$15K |
| Total | $95K-$288K |
Economic Impact: Safety Creates Stability
- School Attendance = Economic Stability: Chronic absenteeism is the #1 predictor of dropping out. Dropping out reduces lifetime earnings by $300,000+. By protecting attendance, Safe Passage protects future earning potential.
- Job Creation: CVI-funded programs create paid positions for neighborhood residents—often formerly incarcerated individuals or long-term unemployed adults who need a pathway back into the labor market.
- Housing Market Stabilization: Visible violence depresses property values. A Safe Passage program signals to residents and investors that the neighborhood is actively addressing safety, which protects homeowner equity.
- Parental Labor Force Participation: When parents fear for their children's safety, they miss work to walk them to school or keep them home. Safe Passage removes that barrier, preserving parental employment.
Your 60-Day Sprint: Launch a Walking School Bus
Start with the volunteer model—you can always scale to funded later.
Step 1: Map the Routes (Days 1-15)
- → Meet with the school principal. Ask: "Where are students coming from? Which routes feel unsafe?"
- → Survey parents. Distribute a simple form: "Would you use a Walking School Bus? What time does your child leave for school?"
- → Walk the routes yourself. Identify key intersections, gang boundaries, and areas of concern. This is your "route audit."
- → Design 2-3 routes that cover the highest-need areas. Each route should take 20-30 minutes to walk.
Step 2: Recruit Volunteers (Days 16-35)
- → Target retirees and shift workers. You need people available 7:30-8:30 AM and 2:30-3:30 PM.
- → Require background checks. This is non-negotiable when working with children. Budget $30-$50/person.
- → Ask for a 1-semester commitment (4 months). Consistency is key—children and parents need to trust the "bus" will be there.
- → Goal: Recruit 10-15 volunteers (3-5 per route, rotating schedules).
Step 3: Train & Equip (Days 36-50)
- → Host a 2-hour training. Cover: conflict de-escalation, what to do if a child is injured, emergency contact protocols, and boundaries (volunteers are not babysitters—they are escorts).
- → Buy bright vests. Visibility = safety. Yellow or orange safety vests with "Walking School Bus" printed on the back.
- → Create a roster. Each volunteer should have a printed schedule, emergency phone numbers, and a simple checklist.
Step 4: Launch Week (Days 51-60)
- → Market aggressively. Flyers at school pick-up, pulpit announcements, social media. Include: route map, start date, meeting points, and contact info.
- → Launch on a Monday. Start of the week, fresh start. Walk the routes for the first week alongside volunteers to troubleshoot.
- → Debrief weekly. After the first month, gather volunteers to assess: What's working? What needs adjustment?
Key Metrics to Track
- • Number of children served daily
- • Parent satisfaction (monthly survey)
- • School attendance data (request from principal—did chronic absenteeism decrease?)
Scaling to the Funded Model
Once the volunteer model is proven, scale to paid positions with CVI grants
Funding Sources for Violence Interruption
- 1. Federal CVI Grants
The Biden administration launched the Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI), providing funding for evidence-based community violence strategies. Churches can apply through city or state intermediaries.
- 2. School District Contracts
Partner with your local school district (like Chicago CPS) to become a vendor for Safe Passage or similar programs. Districts budget for these services and actively seek community partners.
- 3. State & City Public Safety Budgets
Many cities now allocate funding for "alternative public safety" programs. Chicago, Philadelphia, and Oakland have specific budget lines for community-led violence interruption.
- 4. Foundation Grants
Foundations like the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and local community foundations fund violence prevention work.
Pro Tip: Start with the volunteer model to generate data (# of students served, attendance improvement, parent testimonials). Use this data in your grant applications to prove demand and impact. Funders want to see proof of concept.
Ready to Launch Safe Passage?
Start volunteer-based for $3,300/year. Protect school attendance. Reduce violence. Then scale to funded CVI grants that create paying jobs for neighborhood residents. Safety creates stability.