In Saint Paul, Minnesota, a fresh initiative is tackling the epidemic of gun violence among youth, a successor in spirit to the D.A.R.E. program, but this time focused on bullets, not drugs. The program, dubbed Goals Not Guns, springs from the minds of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council and engages students from third to twelfth grade in a week-long curriculum emphasizing self-esteem, mental health, and community engagement as tools to combat the allure of violence. According to a report by the official Saint Paul government website, the program offers two-hour sessions led by Charlie Adams, a former Minneapolis cop, precinct chief, and coach, along with the NSCC members.
The initiative extends beyond the classroom, involving students in the creative process where they design t-shirts with anti-gun slogans. The winning design is then screen-printed by Saint Paul young people at risk of homelessness working at Elpis Enterprises. Lynnaia Jacobsen, Manager of the Neighborhood Safety Community Council, told the same Saint Paul government news platform, "We invite students to help carry the message of staying gun-free by creating their own design with a slogan and an image" and thus far the program has taken root in schools including St. Paul City School, Face to Face Academy, and Humboldt High. The program goes further, expanding its reach to recreation centers across the city as part of its mission to deter youth from the path of gun violence.
A celebratory event marks the culmination of the program, where all participating students come together, the student behind the winning tee-shirt design receives a $300 check, and even Mayor Carter dons the designed tee-shirt to promote a gun-free lifestyle. "At the end of the program, we bring all the students together for a big celebration," Jacobsen stated on the government news outlet, highlighting the collaboration with partners like Moms Demand Action Minnesota and the involvement of city officials such as Mayor Carter, who also offer their support to the program's message and achievements.
Public support is galvanized through the sale of these shirts, with proceeds funneled back into funding more Goals Not Guns programming, with the next wave of tee-shirts slated for release in mid-November, as per the official announcement. These shirts, which bear messages like "Dispose the Guns, Not Our Bodies," act as vehicles for the program's message, weaving the fabric of resistance through the threads of the community and the hands of those who wear them. Jacobsen aptly summarized the essence of the program to the city's website, asserting that the program's most inspiring aspect is "seeing young people help other young people find the courage they need to say no to guns, one tee-shirt at a time."
