Speak Up Oliver High School

by Brittany, age 21

(Click photos to enlarge)

Community Issue
Social Impact
Plan for Change
Innovation
Sustainability

Community Issue

The community issue this project will address is violence in the student's community and school. The students have expressed a concern about feeling safe at home, on their way to and from school, and even while they are in school. Being able to provide an anonymous way students and community members could "Speak Up" against violence would give them power over the unfortunate events that happen in their area every day. Violence is a prominent community issue because recent crime statistics show that crime has risen in Pittsburgh's Northside neighborhood, where Oliver High School is situated. Many of the students participating in the Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy have witnessed violence firsthand, or known someone who has died from unnecessary gun violence. This is a prominent and important issue to the students of Oliver High School, and the Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy would like your help in doing something to prevent it.

Social Impact

As a result of the project, "Speak Up Oliver High School," we would like to eventually see students and community members taking action to prevent violence in their community. We will with PAX/Real Solutions to Gun Violence, a non-profit organization working with all Americans to help bring an end to gun violence against children and families. This organization offers a text messaging system that can be set up for Oliver High School. The organization would provide a unique text code where students and community members could anonymously send a text if they see a gun in school. The code would then trigger a call to the local police department, who would take action against the threat. This would have a immediate and direct positive impact on the community, empowering students and community members with a tool to keep themselves and those around them safe. We will be able to evaluate the success by noting how many times the program is used and students reaction.

Plan for Change

Our plan for change is to set up a text messaging system with PAX/Real Solutions for Gun Violence so people at Oliver High School and the surrounding community can have an easy way to report a gun. The biggest obstacle we have faced in this attempt so far is the lack of funding. If we were to secure funding for this project, the next step would be to set up the program with PAX/Real Solutions for Gun Violence. The students at Oliver's Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy already worked with PAX on a much smaller scale, promoting the organizations 1-866-SPEAKUP number. Similar to the text plan, people can anonymously call this number and report a gun or violence. The text plan is the next step in this initiative, and the students are hopeful that they will be able to provide the service to their peers. We would advertise the text code and let students know it is anonymous and tips off local police with only a few click of their cell phone. We will empower the community against violence.

Innovation

This project is innovative and different because it empowers people to take action against violence. If Oliver's Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy secures the funding to set up and promote this project, the students will use their talents and imagination to get this message out to the community. This is the first step for community members to take back control of their community that has been increasingly riddled by violence. Hopefully the availability of this anonymous text code will give people hope that they will be protected against gun violence in their community, and inspire them to take further control over their surroundings. The Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy students have expressed interest in getting the word on in unique ways, like making posters, having skits during lunchtime, and handing out awareness items from PAX/Real Solutions for Gun Violence.

Sustainability

If Oliver's Pittsburgh Young Leaders Academy was chosen as the winner, we would use the $15,000 to successfully plan, implement, and advertise the Speak Up campaign at Oliver High School and the surrounding community. We would take the necessary steps to set up the text code and alert the local police station. We would also use the money to advertise the code to the community so everyone is aware of their power to affect their surroundings. Many people feel hopeless and powerless in a situation where violence is so prominent, and the Speak Up Oliver High School project would empower the community to take back control of their surroundings. This is the type of project that could be replicated in other schools and communities, and has been effectively implemented in many communities already thanks for PAX/Real Solutions for Gun Violence.

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