PHILADELPHIA – This week the Mayor’s Office of Youth Engagement launched a School Safety Pledge Tour in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, the Mayor’s Office of Education, and the Office of Public Safety. During this School Safety Tour, the Mayor’s Office of Youth Engagement and partnered offices will visit schools in every Council District to engage young people in the Parker Administration’s work in making our city safer and connecting them to resources and programming.
The School Safety Pledge Tour kicked off on Tuesday, October 15 and will run through Friday, October 25. Over 20 Philadelphia schools have signed up to engage their students in the tour. The tour will include influencers, performers, and special guests who will administer the pledge.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, firearm violence – including suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths — is the leading cause of death of children and adolescents; and the daily effects of gun violence are felt by residents across the City of Philadelphia, especially younger Philadelphians.
“We must emphasize peaceful conflict resolution. Youthful disputes should not end in life altering shootings or loss of life,” said City Councilmember Curtis Jones (4th District) who introduced a resolution in Philadelphia City Council recognizing Wednesday, October 16, 2024, as National Day of Concern about Young People and Gun Violence in the City of Philadelphia.
The pledge that will be administered for young students says:
“If I see a gun, I won’t touch it. I will remember that any gun I see might be loaded. I know how important it is to keep myself safe.” The pledge for older students says: “I will never bring a gun to school; I will never use a gun to settle a personal problem or dispute; I will use my influence with my friends to keep them from using guns to settle disputes. My individual choices and actions, when multiplied by those of young people throughout the country, will make a difference. Together, by honoring this pledge we can reverse the violence and grow up in safety.”
“It is a tragedy that in this day and age we must declare a Day of National Concern about gun violence for our young people here in Philadelphia. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and adolescents nationwide, and it is critical that we as Philadelphians commit ourselves to ending this epidemic,” said Adam Geer, Chief Public Safety Director, Office of Public Safety. “Recognizing today and centering our young people in our gun violence prevention efforts is essential to making it clear that the Office of Public Safety and the Parker Administration will not sit idly by while our communities feel unsafe. The young people of Philadelphia are exceptional, full of talent and potential, and we will never stop putting their safety and well-being first.”
“None of us can end gun violence alone. We need young people, which is why this School Safety Pledge Tour is so important,” said Shania Bennett, Director, Office of Youth Engagement. “Taking this pledge reinforces the idea that — with the collective power of young people’s positive actions — we can end the culture of violence and chaos and, instead, chart a future of peace and productivity.”
“You cannot foster learning and growth in schools when students feel unsafe,” said Dr. Debora Carrera, Chief Education Officer, Mayor’s Office of Education. “Students want and need to be part of the solution and the School Safety Pledge can help make that happen meaningfully and pragmatically—one student at a time.”