PORTSMOUTH, Va. — For some, it's spring break. For those in Portsmouth, it's PEACE Week, a community initiative aimed at keeping kids safe and supported. It's led by the Portsmouth Police Department's Portsmouth United program.
"PEACE Week happens during spring break, and we all know that when students or kids are unsupervised, they can accidentally fall into some trouble. We just want to provide opportunities to mitigate that risk by ensuring they are occupied with fun activities. They are educational and enriching, but they're also fun," said Elexcia Washington, public information officer for the Portsmouth Police Department.
This year marks the fourth annual free event, designed to create a positive and supportive environment that addresses the root causes of violence in the community. Notably, this is the first year that the event is not limited to specific neighborhoods.
The week kicked off on Friday when 30 Portsmouth children attended a leadership conference at JMU. So far, 150 kids have signed up for activities ranging from art and cooking classes to sports.
PEACE Week will culminate in the PEACE Fest, a resource fair and concert scheduled for Saturday.
For more information visit the Portsmouth United page here.
