Chicago Teens Pitch Campaigns to End Gun Violence

Chicago Teens Tackle Gun Violence Through Creative Campaigns

More than 50 teenagers from Chicago’s South and West Sides are set to pitch their original social media campaigns aimed at reducing gun violence as part of a citywide youth competition on Friday, August 1. The event marks the conclusion of Project Unloaded’s third annual Social Media for Safer Communities summer program.

For the past six weeks, participants have worked in teams at three community partner sites—Al Raby School for Community and Environment, Breakthrough Urban Ministries, and The Ark of St. Sabina—developing campaigns under the guidance of mentors from Havas Chicago, a global advertising agency headquartered in the city. The teens received both strategic support and public safety insights as they shaped their messages for maximum impact.

The program’s core goal is to equip young people with the tools to challenge the cultural narrative around guns by utilizing facts, storytelling, and the power of social media. “We’re safer without a gun” is the unifying message threaded through each campaign, empowering youth to speak directly to their peers.

A panel of notable local leaders will judge the final pitches, including Chicago Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Garien Gatewood, former CPS Chief of Safety and Security Jadine Chou, and Chicago-based human rights lawyer and creator Qasim Rashid. The winning team will see their campaign featured across Project Unloaded’s social platforms, which already reach more than 150,000 teens in Chicago and millions more nationwide.

This youth-led initiative, supported by After School Matters and One Summer Chicago, builds on the belief that young people are not just the future, but also key players in creating safer communities today.