Newtown, CT — Sandy Hook Promise (SHP), a leading gun violence prevention organization, announced today the winners of its 4th annual Say Something Call-to-Action Week. Say Something is a proven program that educates young people and adults how to identify, assess, and get help for someone in crisis before they harm themselves or others.
The Call-to-Action Week was held between February 25 through March 1, and thousands of middle and high schools across the country participated in weeklong activities that demonstrate and reinforce the core values of Say Something in their school culture and overall community. SHP selected winners based on the level of student leadership and involvement and program sustainability, along with the breadth and depth of the activities that students submitted.
“We are proud of all the students who participated in Say Something Week — especially those who fully embraced being ‘upstanders’ in their community and committed to looking out for one another before a crisis can escalate to violence,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting. “In 4 out of 5 school shootings, the attacker told someone of his/her plans prior to the attack and 70% of people who complete suicide told someone of their intention or gave some type of warning. We want to ensure that students have the tools they need to be able to spot these signs and know how to properly intervene and tell a trusted adult. That’s why Say Something is so important. Following this Call-to-Action Week, we received reports from schools detailing violence and threats that were averted, thanks to brave students who spoke up. Lives are being saved.”
This year’s Say Something Call-to-Action Week winners are:
- District Grand Prize Award Winner: Swansboro High School SAVE Promise Club, North Carolina
- School Grand Prize Award Winner: O.H. Platt High School, Connecticut
- Student Leadership First-Prize Award Winner: Howe School of Excellence, Illinois
- Student Leadership Runners-up: Kids Community College Preparatory High School, Florida, and Perth Amboy High School, New Jersey
- Community Reach First-Prize Award Winner: La Quinta Middle School STEM Academy, California
- Community Reach Runners-Up: Olde Towne Middle School, Mississippi, and Amos Alonzo Stagg High School, Illinois
All awardees will receive a Say Something award plaque, free registration for the school’s SAVE Promise Club members to attend SHP’s SAVE Promise Club’s annual Summit, a travel stipend to use toward travel to the Summit ($2,000 for the grand prize winner at the district level, $1,000 for the grand prize winner at the school level, $500 for each first-place winner, and $250 for each of the runners-ups), an invitation to submit a proposal to present their school’s Say Something Week award submission activities at the summit, and their Say Something Week video submission will be played at the Summit. In addition, the grand prize and first-place winners will also receive a personal visit from members of Sandy Hook Promise.
To date, more than 7.5 million people nationwide have been trained in Sandy Hook Promise’s proven Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence by training youth and adults how to identify at-risk behavior and intervene to get help before a tragedy can occur. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, as well as countless teen suicides and other acts of violence.
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About Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence (and other forms of violence and victimization) BEFORE it can happen by educating and mobilizing youth and adults to identify, intervene, and get help for at-risk individuals. SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions, and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. For more information, visit www.sandyhookpromise.org or call 203-304-9780.
Media Contact:
Dini von Mueffling Communications | Stephanie Morris
[email protected] | 646-650-5005