Richmond is launching a pilot project to provide more protections and a better path forward for youths at risk of gun violence.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney on Tuesday announced the new initiative to prevent young people from being caught up in gun violence.

He said the city would use a $500,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and work with a coalition of community partners to launch the new program.

The program initially would seek to enroll about 40 over-age middle school students who have struggled with academics, according to the city. The initial cadre, which would be divided into groups of eight to 10 young people, would be recruited from Martin Luther King Jr. and River City middle schools.

According to the mayor, the program would be for 15- and 16-year-olds who either have witnessed gun violence or who have a sibling who has been involved with gun violence. The mayor said the program would seek students with a history of exposure to violence, substandard academic performance, and low household income and education.

“Together with our partners, we’re going to wrap our arms around these children and shepherd them through some of the most formative times in their life,” Mayor Stoney said. “We’re going to provide supports both in school and during those integral hours immediately after school. We’re going to give them the support they need to steer clear of gun violence.”

The support would include stipends for participants, tutoring, preparation for careers and other positive activities, he said.

The announcement came amid a rising tide of gun violence. So far this year, 45 people have been killed, according to data from the Richmond Police Department. RPD also has reported 262 instances in which guns were displayed or fired in robberies and other crimes.

During school hours, students in the program and their families are to receive intervention support from Communities In Schools of Richmond.

After classes end, the students in their small groups would be provided with after-school programs focusing on helping them improve their grades and gain job training.

Two adults would be in charge of eight teams of students, the mayor said, including a trained staff member from the city Department of Parks and Recreation and a behavioral or mental health expert from either ChildSavers or the Challenge Discovery Projects.

The hope is to create a model that could serve larger numbers of young people in a bid to reduce the number of youths willing to shoot other people out of rage or pain, Mayor Stoney said.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s research indicates programming can reduce gun violence when it helps young people increase their commitment to schoolwork and involvement in positive activities and enables them to build trust and form close relationships with adults who are seeking to assist them.

“We all benefit when our kids thrive,” Mayor Stoney said, “and every child in Richmond deserves the chance to thrive.”