Tilden High School Civics Class Helps Students Affected by Gun Violence Find Fellowship, a Way Forward

Lansing, Michigan built an ecosystem of community violence intervention programs (anchored by Advance Peace and the Lansing Empowerment Network) that reduced shootings by 38% between 2022 and 2025. Their relationship-based outreach, mentorship, and victim support continue to prove effective despite federal funding cuts.

In Mancos, Colorado, the school board voted “no” to arming school staff in the traditionally Western town. Across the United States, the question of arming teachers is being brought up as a response to the increase in school shootings. The policy is highly contested, with some saying it provides students with a feeling of safety, but others saying the risks associated are too high. For the Mancos community, such a vote is a surprise given the town’s gun-friendly history, but is explained by the increase in new residents.

Whitten Preparatory, a mostly black middle school, is one of four schools in Jackson that are trying to combat disciplinary issues and keep violence low by using peer mediation - training students to be mediators so they can help their classmates come to a peaceful resolution to their issues.

After going to prison themselves, John Knight of Jackson and Shanduke McPhatter of Brooklyn are living straight and determined to make changes. They work as "violence interrupters" in their neighborhoods, using an approach called "Cure Violence," developed by Dr. Gary Slutkin. They mentor other young, at-risk men and encourage them towards graduating high school, community service, staying away from drugs, and pursuing honest work.

The Victim of Violence Program uses hospital social workers to connect with youth in the hospital for cases of interpersonal violence by helping them cope with trauma, and any other psychosocial concerns that may arise as a result within the year that youth and their families are required to participate in the program. An individualized, holistic treatment plan is developed for each patient, whether that be helping them graduate high school, learn how to communicate better with family or manage the symptoms of their trauma. In 2021, the program had 11 patients and a 100% completion rate.

Black Lives Matters protests have been sustained by an autonomously organized mutual aid network providing a range of services for protesters and community members. Requests for information and assistance are sent using encrypted communication. The groups provide medics, public protest art, legal and financial aid, and even mechanics to service protesters’ cars and a group that helps protesters replace glasses that were damaged or lost due to police encounters. The extensive mutual aid network enables flexibility to respond to a diverse set of changing needs, sustaining protests longer than in other cities.

25 students from two University of California schools went home to intern in the Central Valley for 3 months where they registered high school students to vote and taught them about civic engagement. Modeled after Freedom Summer, where students registered Mississippi voters in 1964, the Central Valley Freedom Summer project sought to increase the low turnout among young voters by teaching them the importance of civic engagement. The interns faced some resistance in the county, but were able to register or pre-register over 3000 young voters and hold events to get youth engaged in their communities.

Since 2007, SIMBA and ASET have connected over 1,000 homeless students living in New York City with academic resources. All students in the 2018 class graduated from high school with multiple college acceptances.

Statewide, Ohio schools are debating the best methods to prevent school shootings. A seemingly bipartisan measure that is becoming increasingly popular is “red flag” laws, meaning individuals that show a potential threat can have their weapons temporarily taken away. Such laws have already been passed in California, Indiana, Connecticut, and other states. While the state weighs its options, issues like financial and practical viability present an underlying concern for everyone involved.

School dress codes overwhelmingly affect girls, and being accused of breaking the code results in missed school and wearing 'shame clothes'. A few Portland students fought the school board, and it resulted in a new gender neutral dress code.