Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. And yet, many young people still believe that having a gun will make them safer. Project Unloaded is flipping that script.
We’re a culture change organization working with young people to tell a different story about guns—one rooted in the facts, not fear. Through data-backed digital campaigns created by and for teens, Project Unloaded is shifting perspectives on gun ownership and empowering teens to choose on their own terms not to own and use guns.
Project Unloaded’s SNUG campaign reaches teens on the social media platforms where they spend their time with a simple message: we’re Safer Not Using Guns. And it’s working.
The Youth Council is an essential part of everything we do at Project Unloaded, from our campaigns to our social media posts and our community engagement strategy.
Project Unloaded’s second campaign, Guns Change the Story, combines mad-lib style stories with video footage of real teens living their lives to highlight how having a gun around makes life riskier.
By Nina Vinik Every time a young person opens fire at a school, the same question follows: Where did they get the gun? That question came up again after a 16-year-old killed three children and an educator at Silver Rail
For a generation on Snapchat, a new study finds gun violence campaigns could make kids safer. By Fairriona Magee Aug 11, 2026 In 2022, when the violence prevention organization Project Unloaded launched its first social media-focused campaign, its leaders had one
The presentations to city officials and civic leaders were the culminations of a summer program that recruits teens from the South and West sides, many of whom have seen the toll of gun violence up close. “By letting go of
By Nina Vinik Every time a young person opens fire at a school, the same question follows: Where did they get the gun? That question came up again after a 16-year-old killed three children and an educator at Silver Rail
To turn the page on gun violence, we must tell a different story about guns. With your help, we can grow our work and save lives.
