MILWAUKEE— Over the weekend, more than 20 people in Milwaukee were shot. As part of the violence spike, 13-year-old Shanaria Wilson was shot and passed away. Her 10-year-old sister, Shyier Wilson, was shot and injured.

Now, community members are reaching out to students to start conversations about ending youth violence.

“The state of Milwaukee is in is turmoil,” Tracey Dent, a Milwaukee activist who is part of the Peace for Change Alliance, said.

Dent, and 20 other community members, are hosting workshops this week at Milwaukee Excellence High School. It’s part of a program called “Youth Victory Over Violence.” Workshops bring resources directly to students, covering things such as mental health, sexual violence, reckless driving and bullying.

“When I see like kids in reckless driving, I see kids in gun violence and things like that, and mental health, it’s like, we need a one-stop-shop,” Dent said.

On Wednesday, Dent said they will start a conversation about gun violence.

“It’s okay to say something and you are not alone,” he said. “One of the kids did speak up today [about gun violence].”

Pamela Holmes, a retired Milwaukee police sergeant, is volunteering alongside Dent.

“The first responders to any crime or incident is always law enforcement, it’s not the community,” Holmes said. “The community is the support system that we need so when we, as officers, do our job, it’s the community that follows up.”

Danajah Moore, a student at Milwaukee Excellence, said the program leaders distributed resources, such as phone numbers, that kids could reach out and use.

“It’s important that the school did it because most schools don’t have this opportunity where people come in and talk about that specific topic,” Moore said.