Young leaders running school-based NAMI chapters will use the toolkit to educate their communities on why young people’s mental health journeys are safer without a gun around
CHICAGO – Today, Project Unloaded, an organization working to create a new cultural narrative that guns make us less safe, launched “Project Unloaded Toolkit: A Guide for Young People Building Safer Communities.“ The new toolkit is designed to encourage conversations about why young people’s mental health journeys are safer without a gun around. Released in partnership with NAMI, one of the country’s leading mental health advocacy organizations, the toolkit was first available to NAMI college chapters and is now available more broadly to young people interested in gun violence and mental health.
“For years now, young people have been asking us for more ways to bring our online work offline and into their own communities,” said Project Unloaded Founder and President Nina Vinik. “This toolkit offers a set of guided activities that do just that—whether it’s at a club meeting, a popup event on their campus quad or even a larger community event. Young people have the power to change gun culture and save lives, and it’s up to us to empower them with the tools they need to get it done.”
It’s no secret that young people are worried about their mental health. At the same time, Project Unloaded’s data show that young people are interested in owning and using guns – a decision that makes them less safe, especially as they’re working on their mental health. With a gun at home, teens are four times more likely to die by suicide. The new toolkit highlights that risk, and encourages young people to make decisions with their safety and well-being in mind.
“At NAMI, we know that addressing the mental health crisis requires honest conversations about all the factors that impact young people’s safety and well-being,” said Darcy Gruttadaro, Chief Innovation Officer for NAMI. “Gun violence and the role it plays in suicide is a critical part of the conversation, especially as rates of youth suicide continue to alarmingly increase. We’re proud to partner with Project Unloaded to bring young people tools and activities that make it easier to talk about these risks and work towards building safer, healthier communities together.”
The toolkit is designed to help make tricky conversations about mental health and guns easier. Activities include:
- SNUG Convos, a blanket tying activity that weaves in a conversation about the risks of guns
- Countdown Challenge, a reflection activity to inspire self care along with a social media challenge to encourage others to do the same
- The Safety Lens, a participatory art installation that invites young people to share photos of what really brings safety
Many toolkit activities build on a campaign Project Unloaded launched earlier this year called Working On It, which will reach more than a million teens this year with the message that young people are safer working on their mental health without a gun around. Previous surveys and testing indicate that Project Unloaded’s campaigns move young people away from interest in owning and using guns by about 20 points, making clear that culture change is a powerful avenue to drive down gun deaths.
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