National Organizations Partner with Sandy Hook Promise to Elevate Youth Violence Prevention Efforts
NEWTOWN, CT – Thousands of students nationwide will be bringing attention this week to the role we all have to play in ending school shootings and violence, and more than a dozen national organizations will be supporting their efforts.
National Youth Violence Prevention Week (NYVPW), April 25-29, brings communities together to raise awareness about youth violence and the everyday prosocial actions that can prevent tragedy. This week-long non-violence campaign elevates the important role young people play in making their schools and communities safer.
Student-led initiatives during the week include everything from community parades and social media campaigns to art contests and video productions. The activities emphasize the importance of being an “upstander” who reaches out for help when seeing the warning signs of someone in crisis. The annual call-to-action campaign is led by Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Clubs, an initiative of Sandy Hook Promise.
More than a dozen organizations are partnering in the NYVPW campaign including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the American School Counselors Association, the Children’s Mental Health Network, and the Los Angeles County Office of Education.
“Student involvement is critical to creating safer schools – they have to be a part of the discussion,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder, and CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.“ Students are the eyes and ears of their community. We must equip them to know what the warning signs of violence are and when and how to speak up to get help.”
Free online resources developed by Sandy Hook Promise’s National Youth Advisory Board, staff, and educators offer valuable tools to engage communities in NYVPW. The Action Kit maps out a week’s worth of activities, making it easy for students, educators, and parents to get involved.
###
About Sandy Hook Promise:
Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. Learn more at www.sandyhookpromise.org.
Media Contact:
Aimee Thunberg | [email protected] | 646.761.5579