Key members of communities across the U.S. will now be asked to participate in a program launched by the U.S. government to help stop radicalized young people from joining Islamic State and other extremist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq, Reuters reported.

The pilot programs, developed by the Justice Department, the White House and other federal agencies, will bring together law enforcement officials, religious leaders and community representatives to detect and disrupt Americans who attempt to join foreign terrorist organizations and develop a strategy to counter the threat, Attorney General Eric Holder said.

"Today, few threats are more urgent than the threat posed by violent extremism," Holder said in a video announcing the program on Monday.

The goal will be to "build a broad network of community partnerships to keep our nation safe," Holder said, adding that the programs will "share information on best practices" and improve training.

Since similar efforts to counter gang violence, for example, have proven to be successful in the past by training teachers, social service workers and others, law enforcement officials are now looking to include teachers and mental health and social services professionals, apart from community leaders, to provide more support and develop ways to search and understand how potential groups recruit, according to NBC News.

The goal is to intervene before people become radicalized, said an official familiar with the program, who declined to be named.

In a speech on Wednesday, President Barack Obama cited a halt to the flow of radicalized Americans traveling abroad as part of his strategy to destroy the Islamic State militants group, saying that authorities would offer "tailored domestic programs to prevent violent extremism and radicalization."

As many as 15,000 foreign fighters are operating in Syria, U.S. officials have estimated, including 3,000 westerners and around 100 Americans fighting alongside extremists groups in the Middle East, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the White House will also hold a summit in October on violent extremism, Holder said.