Day of National Concern

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence began in 1996, supported by unanimous U.S. Senate Resolution and Presidential Proclamation, both calling for a Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence and national distribution of the Student Pledge.

Participation in the Student Pledge sends an important message: that violence is neither inevitable nor an abstract force against which young people are powerless. Violence is, rather, the sum total of individual decisions, and reversing the violence will occur individual decision by individual decision. The Day of National Concern honors the role that young people themselves can play in helping to reverse violence.

Since 1996, more than 10 million students have signed the Student Pledge. There are many ways for your school or community to join in this effort:

The Pledge

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national program that honors the role that young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. This campaign against youth gun violence culminates each year on a Day of National Concern about Young People and Gun Violence. The program provides a means for beginning the conversation with young people about gun violence. It refers teachers, counselors, and community leaders to valuable resources, includes curriculum suggestions that can be integrated with existing academic programs, and contains information about how your school can participate.