National Student Advocacy & Violence Prevention Nonprofit, Unveils National Monument Series to Honor Youth Lost to Gun Violence
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Student Advocacy & Violence Prevention Nonprofit, Unveils National Monument Series to Honor Youth Lost to Gun Violence
TEXAS – September 18, 2025 – The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, a national nonprofit dedicated to student advocacy and the prevention of school violence, formed in response to the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas; today unveiled details & updates on a previously announced new initiative to erect a series of six national monuments across the United States, each serving as a permanent, public tribute to the students and young people who have lost their lives to gun violence, nationwide.
In a Friday update, the foundation noted that the project, titled the, "National Youth Memorials Project," is a critical component of the foundation's recently announced "Trees For Peace," Student Gun Violence Memorial Project, which is planting a tree in a national forest for every student life lost to gun violence.
The 6 nationwide monuments will complement the living memorial by creating visible, accessible sites for remembrance, healing, and advocacy, according to the foundation.
"We're not just planting trees, we're planting hope," said Daniel Chapin, founder and National Director of The Uvalde Foundation For Kids. "Each tree is a testament to a life that mattered, a future stolen, and a community's resolve to heal and prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.
Our efforts cannot stop at memorializing the dead. They must propel us forward to demand the change needed to protect the living. The National Youth Memorials will be a living testament to the urgency of that change, a powerful symbol that will stand in our communities and inspire a nationwide commitment to end gun violence."
The National Youth Memorials Project will feature six distinct, yet thematically linked, monuments with designs by artists from each selected city/region. The designs will be selected through a national competition to ensure a diverse range of artistic perspectives. Each monument will be designed as a place for reflection and will include informational elements to raise awareness about the issue of gun violence. They will also be linked to the "Trees For Peace" memorial, creating a unified national tribute.
The foundation is actively seeking public and private funding to support the design, construction, and long-term maintenance of the monuments. Initial locations under consideration include areas heavily impacted by gun violence in the South, Midwest, Northeast, and West Coast.
In January of this year, 2025, the foundation began introducing the initial memorial plans to various cities nationwide, adding the smallest society in the United States, Minowi, Nebraska as a potential memorial location:
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids is committed to ending the reign of terror on our youth and advocating for the legislative changes necessary to protect the living, including a statewide and future federal ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.
About The Uvalde Foundation For Kids:
The Uvalde Foundation For Kids is a national nonprofit dedicated to student advocacy and the prevention of school violence. Formed in response to the tragic Uvalde, Texas mass shooting in May 2022, the Foundation works to provide resources and support to create safer school environments for all students.
For more information, please visit www.theuvaldefoundation.com
Media Contact: Jennifer West
Uvalde Foundation For Kids
254 499 8027
