A total of $108,893 in Youth Crime Prevention and Intervention grants has been awarded by Gov. Bill Owens to three Montezuma County organizations and programs to reduce incidents of youth crime and violence.

The YCPI grants program provides funding for community-based programs that target youth and their families for prevention and intervention services in an effort to reduce incidents of youth crime and violence.

The Piñon Project’s Southwest Family Literacy Program was awarded $35,000. The literacy program, which is a collaboration with the Southwest BOCES adult education program, serves at-risk families with literacy skills and training through four focus areas: adult education, early childhood education, parent education and support, and parent and child time together.

Virginia Howey, Director of the Piñon Project, said that parents and children have to participate in the program together. She said that the program will help create "better parenting skills and to place a greater value on education."

The Four Corners Child Advocacy Center’s program Supporting Intervention For Youth, which provides advocacy and treatment services to young victims of abuse, received an award of $30,000. The program’s aim is early intervention within a nurturing environment during the abuse investigation and the rebuilding of trust to create healthier lifestyles.

One To One Mentoring Family Skills Building, a Montezuma County Partners, Inc. program was selected for a $43,893 award. Through a juvenile deversion/family skills building classes for youth ages 10-18, a mentorship program for youth 8-18, and a DARE to be You program for families with preschool age children, the mentoring program targets early prevention and intervention for crime and violence.

Gov. Bill Owens has awarded $7.9 million statewide in YCPI grants which will be distributed on Aug. 1.