PHILADELPHIA (August 25, 2025)—As Philadelphia public school students, teachers, and administrators return to school for the 2026-2026 school year, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and members of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office External Engagement and Government Affairs Division announced the reopening of the DAO’s Violence Prevention Grant Initiative application process.
District Attorney Krasner on Monday encouraged local 501(c)(3) organizations that provide programming for STEM education, vocational training, parent training, and family violence prevention to contact the Philadelphia Foundation at [email protected] to apply for microgrant funding. The Foundation, in partnership with the DAO, has awarded over $6 million in violence prevention microgrants to dozens of community-based nonprofit organizations in Philadelphia since May 2021.
Representatives from the Urban Youth Racing School, who recently started partnering with the DAO to connect justice system-involved youth to programs including the Build a Dream Motorsports Program and the CNC Machining Program, joined DA Krasner on Monday to talk about the organization’s longstanding commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. UYRS students also shared how the curriculum has helped shaped their lives and open pathways to new careers. The School has been providing opportunities to Philadelphia youth ages 8-26 for over 25 years.
“I want to thank the DA’s Office for this connection and partnership,” said Anthony Martin, Founder and Executive Director of the Urban Youth Racing School. “I started the school back in 1988 to introduce our youth to the multibillion dollar motorsports industry, specifically through STEM. We’re particularly excited about partnering with the DA’s Office in order to connect youth to our CNC Program, which educates them on becoming machine operators or general machinists. There is a rapidly growing demand across the country for this kind of expertise.”
“My experience with the Urban Youth Racing School has been nothing but great,” said Otoniel Figuero, an Urban Youth Racing School Young Adult Program participant. “The administrators are like family to me. Going through this program has encouraged me to apply for college, something I was not interested in doing before this.”
“Our city continues to see a dramatic reduction in violent crime,” said District Attorney Krasner. “But as I’ve stated before, we have to keep our foot on the gas. This means providing resources to community-based nonprofits who are addressing some of the root causes of crime. My administration is proud to continue supporting these groups through our microgrant initiative.”
The deadline for applications is September 18, 2025. Applicants with any questions about the application process should direct inquiries to [email protected]. The DAO Violence Prevention Grant Initiative is derived from the lawful and appropriate use of civil asset forfeiture and is distributed and audited by the Philadelphia Foundation.
CONTACT:
Dustin Slaughter, [email protected]
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.