Every time we as a nation find ourselves witnessing and attempting to comprehend school shootings, pundits and politicians offer unilateral strategies with the promise such tragedies will never occur again.  But they do.  What is different following the Parkland rampage is that students from around the country are rallying and advocating for change, in a manner more articulate and compassionate than their years suggest.  We believe prevention science can help create the change that is needed. 

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On March 23, 2018, one day before the student-led “March for Our Lives” rally in Washington, D.C, the NPSC convened a congressional briefing on school violence (see toolkit produced by the Melissa Institute providing action steps following the March). We did not limit our Briefing to school shootings, but rather brought together top thinkers and practitioners who recognize that our common goal is to achieve student safety and well-being in addition to the absence of violence.  The experts discussed topics pertinent to school violence, ranging from early prevention efforts to reforms in laws and policies surrounding guns.

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Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Lauren Hogg gave a first-hand account of the mass shooting that killed 17 people.  Julie Pollack, step-mother of Meadow Pollack who was one of the 17 murdered at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, conveyed to us what that has meant to her as a Mother and as an Emergency Physician. Their perspectives, experiences and pleas are vital to our efforts to identify effective solutions to school violence that also promote general safety and well-being. 

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Below you will find video presentations for each speaker, PowerPoint presentations, and additional resources.  Don't forget to join our mailing list to stay up to date!

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