Urban Peace Institute is thrilled to announce our new partnership with GreenLight Fund San Francisco Bay Area! With GreenLight’s $1M investment, UPI will support the launch of a Peace Academy in Oakland to train and develop the city’s frontline community violence intervention workforce. We were deeply grateful to celebrate this announcement at a launch event last week alongside a wide range of Oakland leaders dedicated to safer communities and saving lives.

To accelerate recent progress in public safety and deepen local capacity, UPI will partner with local community-based organizations and the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) to equip Oakland peacemakers with the tools and knowledge needed to cultivate lasting community safety. Program development begins immediately, and the first training cohorts will launch in 2027.

For nearly two decades, UPI has worked to strengthen the expertise of intervention workers who prevent violence before it starts—drawing on their lived experience and deep understanding of the neighborhoods they serve to create public safety. We’re proud to bring our national training and systems-building experience to advance Oakland’s vision for safety.

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.