The announcement comes over the loudspeaker. Another lockdown. You silence your phone, crouch down low, brace for gun fire. You sit silently with your peers, hoping this is yet another “false alarm”, a student acting out or a social media comment taken out of context. But you’re an American student, and the truth is, you just don’t know. A phone buzzes next to you. You glare silently at your friend. They quickly answer their mom’s frantic text, then properly silence their phone. Your teacher looks scared and tired at the same time. You’re scared and tired too, but this is all you know. Crouching under a desk has always been your school experience. You’re 14 years old.
You’ve been drilled for years not to answer the door, not to trust anyone, to be vigilant for signs that a fellow student might act out. The elected officials you see on the news haven’t taken legislative action, and you wonder to yourself if you’ll ever have a say when it comes to your own basic safety. Will you make it to voting age? - - - Friend, this isn’t normal, but it’s all the kids today know. If you’ve wondered to yourself if things are ever going to change, the answer is “yes, but only if you take action, now.” Take action right now. Donate $15. The end of the story above is usually one of three scenarios. In Cambria County this month, for example, a plot to attack a school was foiled. In school districts all across Pennsylvania, kids are sitting through lockdown drills day after day, deprived of a safe place to learn, because adults will not take responsible policy action. The third scenario is most deadly. The shooting plot is real, and it was not prevented. In 2021(so far), there were 149 school shooting incidents across the country. Our plan next year is ambitious and directly tied to giving these kids a life free from constant trauma and fear. We’re going to pass laws that keep guns out of the hands of those who can’t use them responsibly. We’re going to mandate lost and stolen gun reporting, to end illegal gun trafficking. We’re going to work for more investment in community violence prevention. Our theory of change will not be successful without you. We’re mobilizing people all across Pennsylvania, training them on how to advocate for themselves in countless legislative meetings, and increasing the number of co-sponsorships for bills that would prevent acts of gun violence. We must move from a place of defense to one where we lead the conversation, and that won’t happen without your investment. With your help, we’re going to be unstoppable. Every single donation counts. Every single time we get a donation, our plan becomes that much closer to reality. Our opponents, who love the violence if it increases profit margins and division, are mobilizing as we speak, but the public is on our side. We just have to take action. Give generously now. Don’t hold back. YOU are the advocate that students need at this moment. They need YOU to act bravely, speak justly, and give generously in this moment. | 
