Apply to Join Our 2026 – 2027 Youth Council!
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 LAURA BASSETT Gun ownership in America has gone mainstream and off-script. New firearm purchases spiked during COVID amid political unrest and widespread government distrust, and the trend has only continued to climb. Now, firearms are surging across demographics that
By Reema Amin Fifteen-year-old Josiah Owens is considering owning a gun one day because he wants protection. He doesn’t want to suffer the same fate as his best friend, whom he says survived a shooting a couple of years ago.
By Nina Vinik For cities to thrive, families and kids need to feel safe. Today, in too many American cities with high rates of gun violence, young people don’t feel safe, and some are choosing to possess and carry guns
BY LAURA BASSETT Gun ownership in America has gone mainstream and off-script. New firearm purchases spiked during COVID amid political unrest and widespread government distrust, and the trend has only continued to climb. Now, firearms are surging across demographics that
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.
