THE RUN IT UP PROJECT: CHANGING YOUTH NARRATIVES ON FIREARMS VIOLENCE
Homicide, typically with a firearm, is the third leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24 in the U.S., disproportionately affecting African-American and other minority youth, particularly young males. In the District of Columbia, violent crime is up 28% from 2021, and homicide rates rose 14% between 2020 and 2021, with the highest impact in socio economically challenged communities.
To address this serious public health issue, the Prevention and Community Health Department within the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) alongside a coalition of neighborhood organizations in the intervention community of Washington Highlands and several DC agencies/organizations, are collaborating to finalize, implement and evaluate a unique, community-level youth firearms prevention intervention funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
About Us
The Run It Up Project: Changing Youth Narratives on Firearm Violence is a university-
community collaborative Intervention program dedicated to ending youth gun violence in
our neighborhoods. We are working together to implement programs that empower our
youth and provide them with the tools they need to stay safe and succeed.