Vermont Business Magazine Northern Vermont University Sophomore Madison Knoop has been selected to participate in the inaugural Giffords Courage Fellowship. Madison will join 27 other students from across the country in the year long program. Following the mass shooting in Parkland, youth across the nation led a renewed push for gun safety laws. To help empower the continued efforts of young advocates, Giffords launched the inaugural Courage Fellowship. Over the course of the program students will receive resources and opportunities to help them continue their efforts to improve gun safety laws where they live.
Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA Astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.
Northern Vermont University Sophomore Madison Knoop
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be in the first class of Courage Fellows,” said Madison. “We have made incredible progress on gun safety over the past year in Vermont. I look forward to sharing my experience with other advocates from across the country and to learning from their work to further curb gun violence and save lives.”
Madison is politically involved and often volunteers with Giffords-endorsed candidates. In addition to advocating for common sense gun laws in the Vermont State House, Madison organized the March for our Lives event in Montpelier in March which drew more than 2,000 attendees. She also started a youth-led chapter of Gun Sense Vermont.
Ranging from ages 16 to 20, Courage Fellows will work together and learn effective ways to advocate for policies that reduce gun violence. Over the course of the yearlong program, fellows will:
- Learn from nationally recognized leaders in gun violence prevention.
- Network with other dynamic student leaders from around the nation.
- Work in a team to develop and implement a community-based gun violence prevention project.
- Build critical communication, organizing and advocacy skills.
- Meet with legislators to discuss the importance of taking action to keep kids safe from gun violence.
- Develop new tools and resources to advance gun violence education and prevention.