Taking Action After Tragedy
Many people want to “do something” after a national tragedy happens. After Sandy Hook, many people said “Never Again!”
Yet we continue to find ourselves wanting to take action to create social change after another school shooting or national tragedy.
If you are feeling emotional, grieving, or are upset after recent acts of violence,
here are simple steps you can take today to contribute to social change.
Action Steps to Create Local, State, and National Change
Every Community Is Different
Local government is a great starting place for change efforts. As the primary funder and decision-maker for communities, your local government is a starting point for creating social change. Here are steps you can take right now to help in your community. Remember, every community is different but community members know what is needed.
State Specific Advocacy
States provide funding and resources to local communities for education, mental health, and all the support we need for young people to thrive. It’s important to advocate at the state level for additional funding and resources. States can also support regional coordination, sharing resources, sharing best practices, and coordinated solutions.
Federal Support is Key
The federal government has taken action after every major school shooting. Now is your time to tell the government what actions you think are needed to stop school shootings. More money and resources are obvious advocacy choices. But there are a lot of programs the government already has that can be scaled to more communities, like yours! Share this advocacy letter with your congressional representatives and senators to tell them what your community needs.