Check out our new Project Unloaded Toolkit 🖌️ Â
Check out our new Project Unloaded Toolkit 🖌️ Â
Where there are fewer guns, there are fewer gun deaths and gun suicides. It makes sense! But too many Americans don’t know the simple fact that guns add risk to our everyday lives. This activity guide will help you learn those risks yourselves, and then spark conversations about safety and wellness. When young people learn the facts about guns and risk, they’re less likely to want to own and use guns. When we make that choice on our own terms, we’re building a safer future.
This toolkit designed to connect to our campaigns, and for groups of young people wherever you are—in a high school or college chapter, an after-school program or summer school, youth-focused groups, community clubs, and more. Through creative, interactive activities you’ll engage with the facts and then share them out with your community.
The Countdown Challenge is a real-talk activity that unpacks the truth about how guns add risk, not safety. Through powerful 3-2-1 facts, you’ll learn how choosing to own or use guns increases risk—then flip the script with a 3-2-1 self-care challenge: 3 minutes of movement, 2 songs on a shared playlist, and 1 silly selfie. Share your challenge online to encourage others, and tag us at @ProjectUnloaded!Â
In-Person/Virtual Game
Any Size
Prep: 10 mins
Activity: 30-45 mins
Icebreakers, building trust, learning the risks of guns
In “Log Off,” you’ll take a quiet moment to reflect—then connect. Start solo: write, voice-record, or just think about what wellness and safety mean to you, and the ways you’re working on your mental health, without a gun around, in your own life. Then team up with others who share similar goals and ideas. Tag us at @ProjectUnloaded when you share how you’ll “log off.” Whether it’s journaling, setting boundaries, or moving your body, this activity helps you see who else is on the same path—and reminds us, we’re 
not alone.Â
In-Person Reflection
Any Size
Prep: 10 mins
Activity: 20 mins
Mental health-focused events, semester kickoff, icebreakers, chapter/group meetings
What makes you feel safe? For most of us, that’s family, friends, and more—but not guns. In fact, having a gun around adds risk, including increasing the risk of suicide 4x for young people with guns at home. By creating a shared photo collage and displaying it to your community, this activity will invite you to think about what safety looks like for you, and tackle gun violence by sharing the risks about guns. Post your collage online and tag us @ProjectUnloaded to inspire others, too!Â
In-Person Art Installation
8-20
4 to 6 hrs per person over a week
Mental health focused-events, semester kickoff, icebreakers, group/chapter activities
Get creative and start the convo around guns, safety, and the importance of community! In this hands-on activity, you’ll make your own fleece tie blanket while talking about what it really means to feel safe, supported, and seen. As you tie each knot, you’ll explore Project Unloaded’s SNUG—Safer Not Using Guns—message and create a patch with words or art that reflect your idea of safety. Share your creation online, tag @ProjectUnloaded, and spark warmth and change—one blanket at a time.
Crafting & Discussion
8-20
Prep: 30 mins
Activity: 1 hour (or more if you want!)
Group activities, hands-on learners, after-school programs, clubs, or community centers
What does safety mean to you? In this simple but powerful activity, you’ll create a community display of cards that reflect on prompts like: What makes you feel safe? How do you support friends in hard times? Think of it as a shared visual pledge to live safely without guns! Then, you’ll create handmade orange ribbons to hand out to participants as a wearable reminder to live safely without guns. Share your ribbons with us by posting on social and tagging us at @ProjectUnloaded.Â
Tabling and Wearable Awareness-raising Event
Any
20 mins up to 2 hours
Tabling, Raising awareness within your school or community
