PAX is a nonpolitical nonprofit organization working with all Americans to bring an end to gun violence against children and families. PAX's two innovative programs -- SPEAK UP and ASK (Asking Saves Kids) -- offer practical solutions for protecting children from gun violence.

SPEAK UP NEW YORK CITY

On March 1, 2010, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, along with NYPD commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Council Members, and the New York City Department of Education announced the launch of a new program in New York City to a spirited crowd downtown at City Hall.

SPEAK UP New York City is a pilot program in 10-15 NYC public schools that have volunteered to participate in the campaign. Commissioner Kelly said, "I see this as the beginning of a strong and very powerful partnership with PAX. One gun murder of a young person is one too many."

City Council member Robert Jackson, Education Committee Chair and member of the Black Latino and Asian Caucus, expressed his support for SPEAK UP by reciting from SPEAK UP's wallet card in both Spanish and English: "Don't Assume it's a joke! Call 1-866-SPEAK UP. Habla. Salva Vidas."

Representatives from the Department of Education, the Million Mom March, Harlem Mothers SAVE, the United Federation of Teachers, the Mayor's Office, and the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators stood up in support of SPEAK UP New York City.

SUICIDE PREVENTION IN RHODE ISLAND

PAX has begun work with the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) and Policy Studies, Inc (PSI) to address the public health issue of suicide in Rhode Island. Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) to HEALTH, the project aims to promote the awareness of lethal means reduction as well as reducing methods of self harm.

PAX will lead a process of message development to hone in on attitudes and behaviors around suicide prevention and lethal means access. PAX will also explore and identify opportunities to leverage communications insights and messages to inspire positive changes in attitudes and behaviors around lethal means access and suicide prevention.

SPEAK UP CUMBERLAND COUNTY 

PAX is proud to announce the launch of a new program supported by the ESA Foundation in partnership with Cumberland County Schools this year.

SPEAK UP Cumberland County will provide students with the tools to anonymously report weapon threats in their schools and community. Students can either text their tips using a countywide text-message keyword and interactively chat with a SPEAK UP counselor, or alternatively, call the 1-866-SPEAK-UP hotline to actively speak with a live counselor. Superintendent Frank Till of Cumberland County School District states, "this program will give our community the ability to help keep our schools safe. It will make us even more aware of possible threats so that incidents can be prevented."

A mass public awareness campaign including outdoor advertising, television and radio PSAs, and materials to each middle and high school is set to launch early this year.

WALDRON, AR, STUDENTS SPEAK UP

In the 2008 Arkansas Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, 50% of Waldron High School students indicated that they had access to handguns and close to one-fourth of all middle and high school students in the Waldron School District did not feel safe at school.

Responding to students' safety concerns, Waldron High School Business teacher Rebecca Campora, already familiar with SPEAK UP, organized student volunteers to head up the project by creating PSAs, powerpoint presentations for both the middle and high school, and a presentation for the school administrators. 

Waldron raised funds to bring the SPEAK UP program to their district all with the help of concerned teachers and student volunteers.

NATIONAL ASK DAY IS JUNE 21, 2010

Check back soon for details or email ask@paxusa.org for more information.

Read about the latest SPEAK UP success stories.

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