Centering youth voices in gun violence prevention through a cross-city exchange
By Laney Rupp and Ebun Odueso
Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens in the US. The drivers of violence are deeply rooted in racism, poverty, and the unequal distribution of resources. Yet root causes are often overlooked as youth and communities are unfairly blamed for gun violence.
Youth leaders have a strong understanding of what causes gun violence in their communities and what’s needed to prevent it. Still, their voices are often excluded from decision-making about prevention.
The Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MI-YVPC), a CDC-funded National Center for Excellence in Violence Prevention housed at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, is working to flip these scripts by engaging youth as part of the solution.
The MI-YVPC has partnered with community organizations in Washington, DC, and Muskegon, MI, to form two Youth Advisory Boards (YABs) with the goal of expanding youth leadership in prevention. The boards build off of the youths’ knowledge of their communities and lived experiences—empowering them to share the truth about gun violence through cross-city prevention campaigns.
- Two youth participants show off the custom apparel designed by the youth leaders for the learning exchange.
- Leading up to the event, the groups met weekly on Zoom to plan every detail, from the menus down to a custom logo designed by the youth leaders. Here, the hats and custom logo are displayed.
- Participants worked on a mural to showcase their takeaways from a gun violence prevention training.
- Participants at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC.
- Individuals participated in a podcast episode, the youth discussed how to support peers grieving losses to gun violence, and how to channel these experiences to spread peace.
- Youth shared their prevention portraits during a paint and sip event.
- Team huddle after closing circle.
In April of 2024, a learning exchange brought the two YABs together in person to discuss the drivers of gun violence in their communities and how to prevent it.
In honor of National Youth Violence Prevention Week, the MI-YVPC teamed up with the True Reasons I Grabbed the Gun Evolved from Risks (T.R.I.G.G.E.R.) Project to host the first exchange in Washington, DC. This four-day event brought together 20 youth leaders in gun violence prevention from Washington, DC’s YAB,T.R.I.G.G.E.R., and Muskegon’s YAB, Muskegon Violence Prevention (MVP).
Participating youth had multiple opportunities to make their voices heard throughout the exchange, starting with the planning. The youth met weekly on Zoom leading up to the exchange to plan every detail, from the menus down to a custom logo designed by the youth leaders. The youth-created logo appeared on banners, hats, and matching tracksuits.
On the opening evening of the exchange, the youth connected through a scavenger hunt on the National Mall. The scavenger hunt gave youth the chance to explore famous monuments while building new bonds.
The following morning, the youth had the opportunity to visit the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP), where Deputy Director Greg Jackson discussed the office’s mission and progress to date. The youth spoke with Jackson about how gun violence affects their daily lives and what changes are needed in their schools and communities to keep them safe.
For many youth, the meeting was an empowering and validating experience that highlighted they could be part of societal change. "I finally felt heard. My voice was important," one participant expressed.
Later that evening, the youth held a Community Photovoice Showcase where they learned more about each other’s communities. They shared pictures of community strengths like youth-serving organizations, as well as challenges like trauma that increase the risk of violence.
As they talked, the youth noticed similarities in what each community was facing. They discussed how racist practices like segregation and redlining have created conditions that lead to modern-day violence. One youth reflected, “I've learned that there are some similarities like how Muskegon Heights is separated from downtown Muskegon. it's the same way in DC. Instead of a railroad track that's separating them, it's a river.”
The evening concluded with a non-alcoholic paint and sip session led by a local prevention specialist, who supported youth to paint their vision of prevention in their communities.
The following morning, the group gathered at Children’s National Hospital for a gun violence prevention leadership training held in partnership with Project Insight. Project Insight is a local program that empowers youth leaders in DC to learn about health injustices and drive solutions.
During the event, youth leaders from T.R.I.G.G.E.R., MVP, and Project Insight learned how to identify and regulate their emotions, de-escalate conflict, and tie a tourniquet through a Stop the Bleed demonstration. At the conclusion of the training, participating youth created a mural showcasing how they’ll use what they learned to prevent violence in their communities.
Following the training, the youth headed to Southeast DC where they had a chance to explore Sycamore & Oak, a Black-owned business and art center. The youth wrapped up their Saturday on a high note with an outing to Top Golf, where they fostered connections and took a group picture to capture the experience.
On the final morning, the youth participated in a podcast hosted by the Gamechangers, a group of youth leaders from an affiliated CDC Youth Violence Prevention Center in Denver, Colorado.
During the episode, the youth discussed how to support peers grieving losses to gun violence, and how to channel these experiences to spread peace. The youth enjoyed speaking openly about the issues most important to them and having their voices heard: “We actually were able to talk without having adults try to speak for us," one youth leader reflected.
During the closing circle, youth shared that the exchange gave them a unique opportunity to connect with other youth leaders in prevention and build relationships in spite of differences: "The most meaningful thing I took away from the exchange was that everyone might not be from the same place but have similar struggles and triggers,” one participant reflected.
The youth leaders reported leaving the exchange with a greater sense of hope and solidarity in their shared mission to prevent gun violence: "I learned that change in DC is possible… [and] not only DC but [in] other states as well," one youth reflected.
Looking forward to 2025, the MI-YVPC plans to host another learning exchange, this time with the youth leaders from Washington, DC traveling to Muskegon.
During the upcoming exchange, youth will develop collaborative prevention campaigns to transform narratives about what causes gun violence and what’s needed to prevent it. Their work will inspire shared action to create communities where all youth can thrive free from violence.
As one youth leader put it: “We are prevention and we are the change!”
Learn more about the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center and follow on social media: Instagram, X, Facebook
About our Partners
We'd like to thank The T.R.I.G.G.E.R. Project, Muskegon Violence Prevention (MVP), Project Insight, KProtection Services, Guns Down Friday, Peace for DC, and Straight to the Point Media for making this exchange possible. We’d also like to thank Gaining Unity Through Non-Violent Solutions (G.U.N.S.), and Pathfinders of Muskegon for being core partners in our center’s prevention work.
About the Authors
Laney Rupp is the Center Manager for the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center. Her work
focuses on youth and community engagement in violence prevention. She is committed
to working with communities to build the evidence base for locally relevant primary
prevention programs and to expand resources for these strategies.
Ebun Odueso is a Research Area Specialist with the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center
and a Master of Public Health student at Johns Hopkins University. She leads communication
strategies for the center, including social media content creation and stakeholder
outreach. She is passionate about centering and amplifying community voices in research.