In its final meeting of the year, one item on Baltimore's City Council's agenda Thursday was extending the YouthWorks summer job program. Councilman Zeke Cohen said the plan could reduce violence in the city. "If we want to get serious about reducing violence, investing in our young people is the way to go," Cohen said.The City Council adopted a resolution to expand the program from two five-week summer sessions into a yearlong program. The program offers youth ages 14 to 21 job experience with nonprofits, governments and private sector employers."I'm excited that it passed because we needed this and we can't do it by ourselves," Erica Richardson said.Richardson and Tamara Hicks are among about a dozen young people who started a campaign to help extend the program. "Just last weekend, a member of that group was murdered here in Baltimore," Cohen said.City police said 18-year old Davonte Freidman and 18-year-old Des'Mon Andersonn were shot and killed Saturday on Brentwood Avenue in east Baltimore."Davonte was an amazing, curious, bright young man who came to this chamber to present to us on how to reduce violence," Cohen said. "We cannot allow Baltimore to become a graveyard for children."Cohen said Friedman was turning his life around and planned on going to college next year. At the end of the meeting, members held a moment of silence to honor the 290 people who have been murdered this year in Baltimore city.

In its final meeting of the year, one item on Baltimore's City Council's agenda Thursday was extending the YouthWorks summer job program. Councilman Zeke Cohen said the plan could reduce violence in the city.

"If we want to get serious about reducing violence, investing in our young people is the way to go," Cohen said.

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The City Council adopted a resolution to expand the program from two five-week summer sessions into a yearlong program. The program offers youth ages 14 to 21 job experience with nonprofits, governments and private sector employers.

"I'm excited that it passed because we needed this and we can't do it by ourselves," Erica Richardson said.

Richardson and Tamara Hicks are among about a dozen young people who started a campaign to help extend the program.

"Just last weekend, a member of that group was murdered here in Baltimore," Cohen said.

City police said 18-year old Davonte Freidman and 18-year-old Des'Mon Andersonn were shot and killed Saturday on Brentwood Avenue in east Baltimore.

"Davonte was an amazing, curious, bright young man who came to this chamber to present to us on how to reduce violence," Cohen said. "We cannot allow Baltimore to become a graveyard for children."

Cohen said Friedman was turning his life around and planned on going to college next year. At the end of the meeting, members held a moment of silence to honor the 290 people who have been murdered this year in Baltimore city.

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