Stoneleigh Foundation

4/16 Webinar: Join #StoneleighFellow & CeaseFirePA's Director of Firearm Suicide Prevention Dr. Jay B. for a webinar featuring the unveiling of a first-of-its-kind report examining how Pennsylvanians—especially in rural communities—perceive firearm suicide and their willingness to talk about it. This new research, which includes polling conducted by the CeaseFirePA Education Fund in partnership with Muhlenberg College’s Institute of Public Opinion, brings together survey data, CDC statistics, statewide trends, and leading research to provide the most complete picture yet of this crisis in Pennsylvania. This conversation is designed for leaders, decision-makers, frontline professionals, and advocates working to reduce firearm suicide and shape real solutions. A full copy of the report will be available after the event, with more details to come. Register today: https://lnkd.in/ejBPDu-r

On a new Amplify Nursing podcast, Oronde McClain shares his journey as a gun violence survivor and his advocacy work. Through his work, he’s bridging the gap between media and affected communities to ensure more accurate, empathetic reporting. Listen now: https://bit.ly/4bwkJVv.

Please take a moment to read this op-ed, published in The Philadelphia Inquirer's Sunday edition, about the importance of research-informed public health approaches to reducing gun violence in Philadelphia and nationally. #StoneleighFellow Jessica Beard and Elinore Kaufman warn that new attacks on research - including communication blackouts, funding freezes, and cuts at the National Institutes of Health - threaten to halt the progress we’ve made since 2020. https://lnkd.in/df6HcNk3

Pennsylvania is one of just six states, and by far the largest, without a child advocate or ombudsman. #StoneleighFellow and investigative reporter Samantha Melamed examines the story of how the advocate position went from an ambitious response to a crisis of abuse to a position unable to investigate complaints. The Philadelphia Inquirer https://lnkd.in/eEU5Jipm

ICYMI: The Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting and #StoneleighEmergingLeader Oronde Mcclain have launched The Survivor Connection, a new resource intended to make experts from the gun violence survivor community more readily accessible to journalists in Philadelphia. Philadelphia journalists are invited to access this directory of local community experts who feel willing and prepared to share their stories. Each community participant has taken part in an introductory workshop on trauma, media literacy, and public health responses to gun violence. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eUeJyUhT

We are pleased to announce six new 2025-2027 Emerging Leader Fellowship Opportunities! Learn more about the applications and deadlines here: https://lnkd.in/eP6TYaJ Brady: United Against Gun Violence: The Fellow will increase public understanding of the supply-side issue of gun violence and apply pressure on local leaders, elected officials, law enforcement, and the gun industry, with the goal of holding problematic gun dealers accountable and reforming irresponsible industry actors in Philadelphia. Drexel University's Healing Hurt People: The Fellow will enhance understanding of the needs of survivors of violence and their access to services, with the goal of fostering broader utilization of Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program services. Health Promotion Council of Southeastern PA: The Fellow will conduct a community mapping assessment and audit of the organization's violence prevention youth programs and collaborate with youth peer coaches to ensure programming is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and youth-centered. Kingsessing Heals: The Fellow will develop a comprehensive, culturally responsive evaluation framework for the organization's Community Resilience Model programming, combining quantitative metrics with qualitative data, including community narratives, oral histories, and participatory action research. The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University: The Fellow will develop and implement a youth-led gun violence prevention program design model that addresses gun violence prevention organizations’ youth recruiting challenges by supporting the development of programming that truly meets the needs of the next generation. The Village of Arts and Humanities: The Fellow will develop and execute a community organizing and power-building strategy, with the goal of increasing safety in the Fairhill-Hartranft neighborhood and reducing the need for carceral involvement in the community.

RESCHEDULED: Join #StoneleighEmergingLeader host organization Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia on 2/22 for a screening & discussion of "Taking Root," a powerful documentary by VietLEAD about refugee resettlement in Philadelphia. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dxRiMz3u

Many of Stoneleigh’s Fellows continue to pursue critical work to improve the lives of young people and their families long after their Fellowships conclude. To underscore our ongoing commitment to these Fellows and their work, Stoneleigh is proud to support the following 2025 Alumni Grants: Janene Brown, PhD MPH and The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention are conducting a comprehensive national survey of compensation for violence prevention professionals to compare their compensation to livable wage benchmarks. Kasey Thompson, as founder of Incite Learning, is partnering with Rock to the Future to create trauma-informed trainings for young people and nonprofit staff that integrate neuroscience and somatic approaches. Rufus Sylvester Lynch and The Strong Families Commission are organizing an 8th annual statewide symposium to: (1) celebrate the creation of the Commonwealth Citizens Council, Inc., and (2) work with local, state, and national government leaders to remove systemic obstacles that impede the greater involvement of responsible fathers in their families’ lives. Leslie Acoca MA, MFT, as the author of the Girls Health Screen and founder of the NATIONAL GIRLS HEALTH AND JUSTICE INSTITUTE, is partnering with local nonprofits to interview girls about their experiences in Philadelphia’s youth justice, child welfare, mental health, and community health systems. Julie Cousler and Education Plus Health are sustaining critical behavioral health counseling services for hundreds of students across several Philadelphia public charter schools. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eW_vZW4x

Over the last two years, #StoneleighEmergingLeader Eduardo Burgos Quezada partnered with Nationalities Service Center and two young co-researchers on a community-based research project: Voces Juveniles para la Salud Mental (Youth Voices for Mental Health).   The project shines a light on the behavioral health needs of Latine im/migrant youth in Philadelphia and elevates the work of local nonprofits that are providing community-based, culturally-competent, and trauma-informed care for this population.   The just-released final project report highlights how community-based youth programs offered by JUNTOS, Puentes de Salud, and Mighty Writers El Futuro accomplish the following: 1. Fill gaps in the public health and education ecosystem 2. Prevent and mediate the impacts of mental health challenges among Latine immigrant youth 3. Drive positive youth development   Our thanks to Nationalities Service Center, Philadelphia Health Partnership, and Eidos LGBTQ+ Health Initiative for supporting this project in critically important ways.   Read the full report to learn more about the research findings and recommendations: https://lnkd.in/eYkvQam2

Join #StoneleighFellow Sarah Katz and #StoneleighFellow steve volk on 2/21 for a day-long event about the experiences of families who have navigated and overcome systemic injustices. Featuring keynote remarks by internationally acclaimed scholar and activist Dorothy E. Roberts. It's Our Time: How The Community Overcomes Systemic Injustices February 21, 2025 | 12 - 7pm Temple Beasley School of Law Register: https://lnkd.in/e9_7znVg