- Press Release
March For Our Lives Launches "March Forward" Fellowship to Elevate Young Leaders Impacted By Gun Violence
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 23, 2026
Media Contact: [email protected]
New Five-Month Paid Leadership Program Trains the Next Generation of Gun Violence Prevention Advocates
WASHINGTON — March For Our Lives, the nation’s leading youth-led gun safety organization, announced today the launch of March Forward, a five-month leadership and storytelling fellowship program for young people ages 18 to 24 who’ve been directly impacted by gun violence. The inaugural Fall 2026 cohort will run from August to December 2026, with applications now open at mfol.us/marchforward.
March Forward is built on the foundational belief that those closest to the gun violence crisis, especially survivors and those from communities disproportionately impacted by it, carry the most credible and compelling understanding of what true change requires. Too often, those voices are absent from the policy debates, media narratives, and advocacy spaces that shape the nation’s response to gun violence. March Forward was created to change that.
“Too often, the people who best understand our nation’s unique crisis are the ones shut out of the rooms where decisions about their lives and communities are made,” said Jaclyn Corin, Executive Director of March For Our Lives. “March Forward exists because we believe the next generation shouldn’t just witness this fight, they should lead it. This new initiative is about shifting the dynamic, equipping young people with the tools, platform, and support to lead, tell their own stories, and as a result, shape the future of public safety in the United States. March For Our Lives is investing in leaders whose experiences aren’t just valid and worthy of attention; they are essential to ending gun violence.”
Fellows will receive comprehensive leadership and storytelling training, mentorship, and dedicated support to design and lead a community activation project rooted in their own lived experience. Each fellow will also receive a $3,000 participation stipend. The fellowship is open to youth impacted by community gun violence, family loss from gun suicide, domestic or police violence, or mass shooting trauma. March Forward is a central component of March For Our Lives’ broader strategy to serve as the youth mobilization arm of the gun safety movement.
Applications for the Fall 2026 cohort are now open. To learn more and apply, visit: mfol.us/marchforward.
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