Giffords Announces Courage Fellowship, Empowering Young Advocates to Demand Change in Their Communities
Courage Fellowship will provide students with the tools and resources to help fuel the fight to end gun violence.
June 20, 2018 — Giffords announced the launch of a new ‘ Courage Fellowship ’ to fuel the efforts of young advocates seeking to bring change to directly impact their communities. The Giffords Courage Fellowship will provide young people with tools and opportunities to demand safer gun laws in communities across the country.
“Young people woke our country up to the fact that America’s skyhigh rate of gun violence is not inevitable and it will never be acceptable,” said Stasha Rhodes, Engagement Director at Giffords. “Over the last several months, students have been standing up, speaking out and reminding us that no child in our country should ever be afraid to attend school. No child should wonder if today is the day their walk home will turn deadly. Their courageous leadership has inspired us and we’re committed to doing everything in our power to sustain their efforts, amplify their calls for change and bring the voices of even more young people to the table.”
The year-long fellowship is open to student leaders between the ages 16-20. After submitting an application, those selected as Courage Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of trainings, events and meetings that will help them learn from one another and sharpen their activism skills.
The fellowship will place participants in the heart of the gun violence prevention discussion. Courage Fellows will take part in a number of activities in Washington, D.C. including a three-day training and a Capitol Hill visit. When not in Washington D.C., fellows will participate in a number of activities including: topical webinars on gun violence prevention and conference calls. They’ll also be challenged to create an end of the year “Take-Action project.”
Over the course of the year-long program, fellows will:
- Learn from nationally recognized leaders in gun violence prevention.
- Network with other dynamic student leaders from around the nation.
- Work in a team to develop and implement a community-based gun violence prevention project.
- Build critical communication, organizing and advocacy skills.
- Meet with legislators to discuss the importance of taking action to keep kids safe from gun violence.
- Develop new tools and resources to advance gun violence education and prevention.
Individuals eligible for the fellowship must be 16 to 20-years-old by July 2018, be willing to travel to Washington, D.C. for 2 three-day trainings (all travel-related costs will be covered by Giffords), be able to work as a part of a team and secure written parental consent. Those hoping to apply can do so by completing the application here. Finished applications must be completed by July 6, 2018 at 11:59 PM EDT.
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