Pathway from Poverty

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

In portions of the northeast Las Vegas Valley that lie within unincorporated Clark County, there are several census tracts that have been plagued by crime for years, if not decades. Those neighborhoods have also faced deficiencies in education, economic opportunities, quality of life, and security. The Pathway from Poverty (Pathway) Initiative was developed by Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick in 2016 to establish a framework to help address those issues. Through the different elements of the Pathway Initiative and a promotion of building strong, working relationships in the identified census tracts, true progress has been made. For example, there has been an increase in the number of community gardens available to address food insecurity, as well as an increase in the number of available workforce development trainings to assist low-skilled individuals. Additionally, a partnership was formed with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to launch a gunshot detection program to focus on the reduction of shootings. The Pathway Initiative has provided an atlas for upward mobility for neighborhoods in Commissioner Kirkpatrick’s district and serves as a model for other counties to address issues and provide for a higher quality of life.