Federal Deployment in Bay Area
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Mayor Lee Celebrates GreenLight Fund’s $1M Investment to Launch Peace Academy for Oakland's Violence Prevention Workforce
Date: October 29, 2025
News from: Mayor's Office
Mayor Lee Celebrates GreenLight Fund’s $1M Investment to Launch Peace Academy for Oakland's Violence Prevention Workforce
Mayor's Office Contact:
Justin Phillips
(Oakland, CA) — Mayor Barbara Lee this month celebrated a $1 million multi-year investment from nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund San Francisco Bay Area to bring Urban Peace Institute (UPI) to Oakland. UPI will establish a Peace Academy to train and support the city's frontline community violence intervention workforce in partnership with the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP).
The Peace Academy advances the city's comprehensive approach to public safety by strengthening the capacity of violence interrupters who work daily to de-escalate conflicts and prevent retaliation. Program development begins immediately, with the first training cohorts launching in 2027.
Mayor Barbara Lee: "Oakland has seen real progress on reducing homicides and shootings, and there's still more work to be done. Our approach combines enforcement and accountability with prevention and intervention. The Department of Violence Prevention identifies individuals at highest risk of gun violence and connects them with alternatives and support services. We are deeply grateful, GreenLight Fund's investment in our violence intervention workforce strengthens this approach and reinforces our commitment to a safe, thriving Oakland."
UPI delivers 140 hours of structured, trauma-informed instruction for frontline violence intervention workers. Running biannually, the Peace Academy expects to train approximately 100 frontline practitioners in Oakland through four cohorts between 2027 and 2029. Since 2006, UPI has trained more than 5,700 violence intervention workers nationwide. In Los Angeles, their efforts have contributed to a 45% decrease in gang-related homicides in 2024 and saved the city an estimated $51 million annually in avoided violence-related costs.
Dr. Holly Joshi, chief of the DVP: "The field of community violence intervention is emerging and evolving, and the Department of Violence Prevention is committed to supporting and strengthening the organizations saving lives and building peace. With the support of GreenLight Fund Bay Area, we will work in partnership with Urban Peace Institute to create Oakland's first certification fellowship for community violence intervention workers. The Oakland Peace Academy will ensure a sustainable, well-trained ecosystem of community violence intervention staff capable of preventing and intervening in violence and serving Oakland's most vulnerable populations."
Fernando Rejón, executive director of UPI: "Urban Peace Institute is honored to partner with Oakland's Office of Violence Prevention, local community intervention leaders, and GreenLight Fund to launch the new Peace Academy. GreenLight Fund's generous support and shared commitment to community-led safety make this partnership possible. Together, we're redefining what safety means - grounded in care, built through collaboration, and led by community."
GreenLight Fund is a national nonprofit that identifies gaps in local social services and brings in proven organizations from other cities to fill those needs. They use a community-driven process where residents, nonprofits, and government work together to determine priorities, then they vet and select evidence-based programs with track records of success elsewhere. Started in Boston in 2004, they now operate in 14 cities across the U.S. and have launched 63 portfolio organizations.
Urban Peace Institute (UPI) is a Los Angeles-based organization founded in 2006 that trains and professionalizes frontline violence intervention workers. They deliver a rigorous 14-week program (140 hours of instruction) that equips violence interrupters, mediators, and crisis responders with trauma-informed strategies to de-escalate conflicts and prevent retaliation. Since their founding, UPI has trained more than 5,700 violence intervention workers. In Los Angeles, their work has contributed to a 45% decrease in gang-related homicides in 2024 and saved the city an estimated $51 million annually in avoided violence-related costs.