Palo Alto University present Town & Gown event focusing on youth violence

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Palo Alto University  is delighted to announce an upcoming Town & Gown luncheon, focusing on youth violence. 

The event will take place at the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel on Thursday May 5^th, when a series of expert speakers will pose the question; Youth Violence – Do We Really Know What We Think We Know?

Risk and Resilience Factors

The presentations will get underway at 12 Noon with Dr. Alvin Thomas, Co-Director of Center for Excellence at PAU, who will speak about risk and resilience factors for youths close to violence.

Dr. Thomas brings a wealth of understanding and experience to the event, having worked in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry department at the University of Michigan, and focused much of his research on violence and aggression. His recent article: "It's in my hood: Understanding African American Boys' Perception of Safety in their Neighborhoods"can be found by clicking here or (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcop.21768/epdf). 

Dr. Thomas will discuss exposure to actual physical violence and experiences where youths have seen or heard about violence in their homes, schools, neighborhoods and the media.

What We as Adults Can Do

The day's second keynote speech will come from Detective Agent DuJuan Green, School Resource officer with the City of Palo Alto Police.

Detective Agent DuJuan began his career with the Air Force as a Law Enforcement Specialist before moving into the Air Force Medical Service and being deployed to Bahrain in support of Operation Desert Storm.

Detective Agent Dujuan will speak to us about what we as adults can do to identify and support youths who have been affected by violence.

Relevancy of Community Organizations, Barriers and Opportunities

The final keynote speech of the day will be given by, Delayzio Amerson.

Delayzio was appointed Executive Director of the Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA in 2013.  He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of one of this nation's most established human service organizations.  He provides leadership to more than 75 staff and volunteers who help carry out the mission of the YMCA of Silicon Valley on a daily basis.

The theme of Delayzio's speech will be around the relevance of local community organizations, such as the YMCA, in today's world and will assess issues blocking their effectiveness and opportunities for moving forward.

Event Information & Itinerary

Date: Thursday, May 5, 2016, Noon to 1:30pm

Place:  Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel, 625 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 94301

Organizer

Our organizer, June Klein, Ed.D., VP for Business Affairs and CFO of Palo Alto University is an active member of the Palo Alto community. She is the Chairperson and board member for Palo Alto Family YMCA and member of the board for the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto.

RSVP

If you would like to join us for this event please RSVP, no later than Friday April 29^th, to: Helena Ting, [email protected], 650-520-3451,  Vice President of Community Development, Palo Alto University

About Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University (PAU) paloaltou.edu, is a private, nonprofit educational institution, founded in 1975.  PAU is dedicated to education with an emphasis in the behavioral and social sciences; to promoting future innovators and leaders for the benefit of society; to generating knowledge through research and scholarship of the highest level; and to providing services to the community informed by science and scholarship.

SOURCE Palo Alto University