What This Program Does
- Reduces preventable firearm injuries among 14–24 year-olds in Oakland
- Teaches real-world safety (not just range rules)—backstops, penetration, ricochet
- Builds emergency response capacity (bleeding control, scene management)
- Works through existing youth-serving organizations and public agencies
Our Approach
- Reality-based harm reduction — We assume participants will encounter firearms; we teach safer behaviors for those moments
- Respect-forward instruction — Supervised range time with certified instructors establishes non-negotiable safety norms
- Real-world risk education — Why "casual" discharge is deadly
- Emergency response capacity — Trauma/bleeding-control training with EMS/FD partners
- Culture work — Facilitated discussions to de-romanticize firearms without moralizing
Program Model
Cohort Size
10–15 participants
Staffing
3–4 instructors (1:3 ratio)
Duration
2 months
Format
4 classroom + 4 range sessions
Who We Want at the Table
Violence-interruption orgs
Participant selection
City/County agencies
Alignment, data, evaluation
Fire/EMS
Trauma module delivery
Funders & Foundations
Underwrite cohorts
Program Investment
$2,500
Per Participant
$37.5K
Per Cohort (15)
2 mo
Duration
| Category | Per Participant |
|---|---|
| Instruction & Supervision | ~$800 |
| Stipends ("Earn while you learn") | ~$600 |
| Logistics, transport, meals, insurance | ~$500 |
| Range rental + ammunition | ~$450 |
| Trauma gear (IFAK issued to graduates) | ~$150 |
| Total | ~$2,500 |
The Cost of Violence
Full Cohort
$37,500
15 youth trained
1 Shooting Injury
>$400K
Conservative estimate
Preventing 1 injury pays for ~160 participants.
Every cohort is a net positive return on public investment.
Every cohort is a net positive return on public investment.
10.6×
Safeguards & Integrity
- Certified instructors
- Insured range partners
- Guardian consent for minors
- Code of conduct enforced
- Incident reporting
- Pre/post surveys
Why This Matters
Urban gun harm often stems less from premeditation than from proximity, low safety literacy, and performative use in non-range environments. Existing interventions focus upstream (policing, jobs) or downstream (hospital-based). The middle layer—practical harm reduction for those already around guns—is underbuilt. The Oakland Project fills that gap.