Pinto Can Change The World!

For the Honors 499 project I have written a book that highlights the power of personal experience and voice in relation to gun violence in schools. The book follows a fifth grader named Pinto who has multiple incidents with gun violence in school which often leaves the student confused and worried about his peers and the future. In the end, Pinto is encouraged to take action through advocation and decides to make a change for the better. I wrote this book to encourage conversations about school safety and student well being with the end goal to inspire positive change surrounding gun violence in schools.

EDUCATE + ADVOCATE + DONATE + LEGISLATE:

• How can we prevent gun violence in American schools?. Everytown Research & Policy. (2024, March 1). https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-can-we-prevent-gun-violence-in-schools/
• Sandy Hook Promise — preventing gun violence. Sandy Hook Promise. (n.d.). https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/
• Call for action to prevent gun violence in the United States of America | UVA school of education and human development. (n.d.). https://education.virginia.edu/research-initiatives/research-centers-labs/research-labs/youth-violence-project/call-action-prevent-gun-violence-united-states-america
• YouTube. (n.d.). Back To School Essentials – Sandy Hook Promise . YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5ykNZl9mTQ
• No One Should Live In Fear Of Gun Violence. Everytown. (2026, February 20). https://www.everytown.org/
• Clements, A. (2023, August 23). Too many, too young. American Federation of Teachers. https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2022-2023/clements_lerner_rosenberg
• Students demand action. Students Demand Action. (2026, January 29). https://studentsdemandaction.org/
• Together, We Will End Gun Violence. Moms Demand Action. (2026, January 29). https://momsdemandaction.org/