Welcome to the Santa Barbara Alternatives to Violence Project!
The Santa Barbara Alternatives to Violence Project (SBAVP) is a multi-cultural volunteer organization that is dedicated to reducing interpersonal violence in our society.
To reduce interpersonal violence in our society, SBAVP offers workshops in
conflict management skills that can enable individuals to build successful interpersonal interactions, gain insights into themselves and find new and positive approaches to their lives. These experiential workshops empower individuals to liberate themselves from the burden of violence.
This experience is part of a 50-year-old AVP International global movement.
The local Santa Barbara AVP focuses on teens referred by the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Workshops introduce skills and resources to deal with teens’ environment in positive, healthy ways in order to reduce violence in their schools and communities.
SBAVP first started to collaborate with the Santa Barbara Unified School District in 2018. AVP workshop graduates are involved in substantially fewer fights, violence, office referrals and truancy. Everyone is encouraged to join in these workshops: youth and adults.
THE GUIDING PHILOSOPHY OF AVP
The fundamental belief of AVP is that there is a power for peace and good in everyone, and that this power has the ability to transform violence. AVP builds on a spiritual base of caring for self and others working both in prisons and in the community.
an experiential workshop: laughter-filled, interactive, thoughtful experience. Participants look at their lives and their relationships with others through a series of tested, structured exercises.
a program that supports families of youth participants through the introduction of needed resources as well as meetings of families, facilitators and youth.
a community program offering a chance to discover fresh approaches for community groups, social service agencies, youth organizations, sharing resources with one another
a program that introduces leadership skills to teens to make positive decisions and access ways to prevent violence. A program for everybody regardless of race, religion, sexual-orientation, political view or national origin drawing participants and facilitators from all walks of life and ages.
a program that creates a team of youth trained in Alternatives to Violence to reduce violence in schools and their community.
We invite you to learn about Santa Barbara AVP, take a workshop, and even become a volunteer facilitator!
Santa Barbara AVP has offered laughter-filled community
We are a GuideStar Organization.
