In the United States, 4.6 million children live in homes with access to unlocked or unsupervised guns. To help prevent incidents of “family fire,” a shooting involving an improperly stored or misused gun found in the home which results in death or injury, the Ad Council and Brady (formerly known as the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence) are hosting the End Family Fire Scholarship Competition.
The nationwide competition invites high school and college students to create a video promoting safe gun storage, which can help prevent tragedies caused by family fire.
More about the competition:
- Two winning entries will be selected, one from high school and one from college.
- Each winner will receive a $5,000 scholarship to be used toward college, university or trade school tuition, fees and/or supplies.
- The winning videos will be featured as an official End Family Fire campaign PSA, and may be distributed nationally to over 1,600 television stations.
- Video submissions are due on June 16, 2019 and the application can be found at BradyUnited.org.
“High school and college students across the country are passionate about preventing gun violence, and we’re thrilled to offer them this opportunity to make a difference on a national level,” said Lisa Sherman, President and CEO of the Ad Council. “By giving these students a creative outlet to address family fire, we can further bring attention to this issue and help save lives.”
“No matter how well you might think you’ve hidden your firearms, 75 percent of kids know exactly where to find guns stored in their homes,” added Kris Brown, President of Brady. “Keeping guns safely locked and secured is the best way to prevent family fire and keep our children safe at home. We’ve seen this past year what high school and college students are capable of when it comes to preventing gun violence, and we’re thrilled to invite them to join in our effort to End Family Fire.”
The winning submissions will also be screened at the 2019 All-American High School Film Festival in New York City.
“Our network of talented student filmmakers is eager to create content with purpose, content that addresses the issues directly affecting their world,” said AAHSFF Co-Founder and Executive Director Tom Oliva. “We are thrilled to offer them a chance to focus their collective lens on work that supports efforts to end family fire.”
Since launching on August 8, 2018, the End Family Fire campaign has already moved national attitudes and behaviors about guns in the home. According to a March 2019 survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs:
- 4 in 10 gun-owning parents in America (42%) are aware of the campaign.
- 50% of those who are aware of the End Family Fire campaign have sought information about safe gun storage in the past year – compared to only 16% who are not aware.
For additional resources including tips for safe storage, advice for talking with your family about gun safety, and home protection alternatives, please visit EndFamilyFire.org. To learn more about the scholarship competition, visit BradyUnited.org.
