I’ve been listening to the conversations taking place which involve the student movement against gun violence. This past weekend, there was a student panel discussion at one of our local universities in Northern California where politicians, students, parents, teachers, and administrators came together to voice concerns, share perspectives and opinions, as well as resources and ideas on gun safety and procedures in schools.

I was moved by the motivation in students, how they articulated and shared their thoughts with integrity, how they presented solutions and demanded change. Some takeaways: we need to be able to hear from a range of perspectives and support students as they become leaders passionate for a peaceful society and a future without gun violence.

Take a look at this new collection on youth empowerment where you’ll find stories and lessons which provide classroom discussion and writing prompts surrounding the following themes: our shared humanity, trust, community, peace, and non-violence. In one writing prompt, students respond to the following quote from Nelsa Curbelo, featured in the film Barrio de Paz. Curbelo said that the opposite of violence isn't non-violence. It's empowerment.

You can now create your own collection on our platform and publish a link to share with your students and colleagues. What collection will you create?