CARY's mission is "empowering at-risk youth with the skills to avoid crime and violence", by addressing critical issues: preventing school-age violence and delinquent behavior. CARY was formed in 1999 in response to the Columbine tragedy in an effort to increase school safety and to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. CARY has successfully provided services for over 22,000 students since its founding. CARY currently serves 1,700 students in 17 middle and high schools across 3 school districts in Central Texas.