HARRISBURG, N.C. — In the aftermath of the church shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota that claimed the lives of two children and hurt 18 other people, organizations are taking a deeper look at initiatives in our state aiming to stop future violence.
What You Need To Know
- Student groups called SAVE Promise Clubs are in North Carolina and nationwide aiming to prevent violence
- These clubs came from a partnership between Sandy Hook Promise and Students Against Violence Everywhere
- The clubs create activities to increase connectedness among students and spread safety messages
- Sandy Hook Promise recognized clubs across North Carolina, including some in Catawba County and Cabarrus County
Nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise and Students Against Violence Everywhere joined forces in 2017 to create student clubs preventing violence in their communities. Nearly 10 years later, there are more than 5,000 SAVE Promise Clubs in elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.
Hickory Ridge High School, which is part of Cabarrus County Schools, has one of those chapters.
They work to prevent violence through videos about safety, game nights and other initiatives to bring students together.
“They may not know each other, but it allows for that environment for people to feel like there’s connections being made, and they feel like they belong there,” Hickory Ridge High School SAVE Promise Club Co-President Morgan Powell said.
According to social studies teacher and co-adviser of the SAVE Promise Club, Christina Sell, the number of members has increased over the years with last school year having 25 members. The growth prompted her to ask teacher Elliott Young to join her as an adviser for the club.
Sell said she knows the club is making a difference because their school resource officer has mentioned to the club that students are using the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System to share concerns about school safety.
In addition, she said they have learned some of their initiatives are working.
“Our sense of belonging initiative has improved sense of belonging substantially in our school building. And our goal is to take that improvement and make it even more significant this year,” Sell said.
Cabarrus County Schools focuses on the sense of belonging.
“Research heavily supports the fact that when students feel connected to school and they have strong, trusted relationships with adults, that makes a world of difference in the world of safety,” Director of Student Safety and Well-Being Amy Lowder said.
School safety is always top of mind, especially after the shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, Minnesota Wednesday.
“I think two feelings and emotions that come to mind for me, honestly, are anger and frustration because school shootings continue to happen. Children continue to be killed. Even the children who weren’t killed, they’re now victims of the tragedy and of gun violence and will have to carry that for the rest of their lives,” Sell said. “It gets frustrating because there are a lot of things in terms of preventing gun violence that are out of my control, especially when it comes to the government and governmental policies. But it does make me feel hopeful, because I know that I can make a small difference in the small, small space that I’m in.”
Anna Powell, a member of the club who is part of the SAVE Promise Club’s National Youth Advisory Board, also had strong emotions about the recent school shooting.
“People shouldn’t have to hear about more school shootings because they shouldn’t exist. But we live in this world where they do, and what we can do now is be sympathetic and try and do our best to prevent as much as possible,” Anna Powell said.
Hickory Ridge High School SAVE Promise Club Co-President Sarah Kirschner had a similar sentiment.
“I think it’s horrible that parents have to mourn their kids, especially in that way and I think, again, as a community, it’s our duty to make sure that that doesn’t happen again,” Kirschner said.
Morgan Powell said amid the heartbreak, this should also empower students and staff to create a difference, allowing students to feel safe, seen and supported at schools.
“I think that kind of motivates people to act more upon this sort of issue. And it kind of brings our realization to students that this is something that can happen at any time, and we should put in the best effort to prevent something like this,” Morgan Powell said.
Anna Powell has created posters to raise awareness about gun violence and also talked to lawmakers in Washington D.C. about school safety. However, she said there are many things that can be done at the local level, including educating people about the signs and using Sandy Hook Promise’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.
“We can make people feel seen, feel heard. We can utilize safe clubs and things like it. We can make community engagement,” Anna Powell said.
The SAVE Promise Club at Hickory Ridge High School had its first meeting Friday.
This summer several clubs in other North Carolina school districts received recognition from Sandy Hook Promise from their efforts, including one at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Catawba County Schools.
At St. Stephens High School in Catawba County, theater teacher Molly Rice is the adult adviser of the club. She said kindness is part of the educational activities of the club, helping them build a more empathetic school culture.
“By breaking down social groups and encouraging empathy, these programs directly combat the social isolation that can lead to violence. When students feel more connected and understood, they’re more likely to support each other, creating a safer, more positive environment for everyone,” Rice said.
The SAVE Promise Club at St. Stephen’s High School also promotes the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System.
According to Sandy Hook Promise, reports on the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System have helped prevent 18 credible planned school shootings.
