A new coalition of student creators hopes content can stem violence among their peers
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The UPenn Creators for Community Safety Institute, a year-old initiative, aims to curb gun violence among students by harnessing the power of social media. The program, founded by Ant Brown, helps student activists create anti-violence messaging through social media skits, rap songs, and other forms of media. The first cohort of 15 creators graduated in August, and a new group will start in the spring.
Zyla Smack, a 9-year-old participant and Brown's niece, shared her experience with gun violence, which began early in her life when her sister was injured in a shooting at the age of six. Brown believes that engaging and entertaining young people through positive content can build a coalition of leaders to change the narrative around guns.
The institute, a partnership between ABRO and the University of Pennsylvania's SAFELab, is working on addressing the school-to-prison pipeline and promoting conflict resolution, among other topics. While evaluating the impact of their work is challenging, proponents believe there is significant potential in engaging young people directly affected by gun violence.
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