Jamill Willis, a student at DRW College Prep, points to a posterboard with his group's Together Towards Peace project, which addresses gun violence in our communities.
Published On: July 7th, 2025Categories: 2025, Campus Life, DRW College Prep, Staff, Students

“I decided to join Together Towards Peace because I wanted to be part of a group that actively addresses gun violence in our communities. I was also interested in connecting with other youth from across Chicago to share experiences and brainstorm real solutions to an issue that affects all of us.”

Jamill Willis was one of 20 DRW College Prep students who joined the Together Towards Peace (TTP) program this school year. The program, facilitated by the Praxis Institute and made possible through an essential partnership with the Vivo Foundation, focuses on addressing gun violence in our communities. With gun violence being so prevalent in his community, Jamill felt called to join and work to protect his community and future generations from that trauma.

Jamill throws up peace signs in front of a backdrop of a colorful butterfly. It looks like the wings are coming off of his back. He is a young man with short black curly hair and dark brown skin. He wears a black t-shirt with a matching butterfly on it. The butterfly is divided into four parts on each wing: the red upper left wing says "act", the yellow bottom left wing says "build", the blue upper right wing says "reform", and the green bottom right wing says "heal".

Jamill at Together Towards Peace's final event where he and his peers presented their culminating project.

Launched in 2022 with just two schools, Together Towards Peace expanded this year, including DRW College Prep and Baker College Prep. For DRW, the program came at just the right time. After losing a student to gun violence at the beginning of the school year, it became essential to give staff and students space to connect, grieve, and process the impact. TTP filled that need, Teresa Brickey, the program’s co-lead and English teacher at DRW, said.

In the program, DRW students were tasked to address gun violence through Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) projects. Through the YPAR process, students developed valuable skills in research, teamwork, policy exploration, media creation, and restorative practices. This experience not only helped them connect and process but also grow as thoughtful leaders and active members of their school and community. Participants were also compensated upon completion for their significant time and contributions, especially their culminating project.

For their final project, Jamill and his peers launched @YourStoryMattersDRW, a YouTube channel where the DRW community shares personal stories of gun violence. By amplifying real experiences, they aim to raise awareness, inspire change, and ensure no one who is impacted by gun violence feels alone. The project has brought the school closer together.

We spoke with Jamill, Brickey, and two other sophomores, Kjuan Newby and Kendall Newby, to hear more about their experience with the program. Here’s what they said:

How did TTP shape your perspective on gun violence?

Jamill: “TTP helped me understand that gun violence isn’t just a headline. It’s something that deeply impacts individuals, families, and neighborhoods. Hearing stories from peers made the issue feel more personal and real. It showed me the importance of empathy, listening, and the need for unity in order to create change.”

Kjuan: “TTP made me realize that gun violence not only affects more than one race, but it also impacts the victim/survivor and those who witnessed the violence first hand.”

Kendall: “It showed me that it’s not just the Black community that is affected by gun violence. This just shows we can come together to put a stop to gun violence, or at least slow it down.”

How did it feel to talk with other students about gun violence?

Jamill: “Talking with other students about gun violence felt healing. It wasn’t always easy, but having a space where I felt safe, respected, and heard, especially in a healing circle, made a big difference. I learned that a lot of us share the same pain and hopes, and I learned that we’re stronger when we support each other and work together as a community.”

Kjuan: “It felt great to talk to others about something that we all had in common, whether it was done to us or if we’ve seen it. Talking to the other students wasn’t difficult at all. It made me feel at ease knowing I’m not in this alone and that other people have gone through the same struggle and are now trying to make the world better.”

Kendall: “Talking to other students from different schools and different races who have experienced gun violence felt relieving because I know now that other people have been through the same thing I have. I learned that if I’m around people who have the same experience as me, then I will make friends fast.”

Tell me about a specific moment that stood out to you or resonated with you during your time with TTP.

Jamill: “One moment that stood out to me was being in the healing circle and realizing how powerful it was to truly be heard, not just by adults, but by my peers. It felt like we all dropped our walls and saw each other as human beings with real struggles and ideas. That moment made me feel connected, respected, and hopeful that change is possible when we come together.”

Kjuan: “A specific moment that stood out to me was the last event of TTP. This moment resonated with me because I got to see the reactions of the judges when they heard our projects and how we are trying to make the world a better place at such a young age. Also, listening to the feedback the judges shared with us really made me happy inside to know that they loved our project and what we are doing.”

Kjuan holds his hand up to address a audience member as he presents his group's project on a posterboard behind him. He is a young man with medium-length dark brown locs and dark brown skin. He is wearing one of the butterfly t-shirts.

Kjuan presents his project at the final TTP event.

Kendall: “One time that stood out to me was the first time I attended a TTP meeting. Just seeing how many people wanted to help do something about gun violence surprised me, honestly, because I thought this experience was unique to me and to people who look like me.”

What impact do you think TTP will have on DRW College Prep?

Jamill: “I feel like the impact is endless. I feel like it’ll allow more scholars to feel comfortable sharing their feelings and emotions on gun violence. I feel like a lot of gun violence stems from pent-up anger/pent-up issues, so just getting the space where people aren’t laughing at you for your pain and your experiences and for getting vulnerable— where you can get vulnerable with people who actually have been through what you’ve been through and are feeling what you’re feeling— is something that will help benefit DRW in the long run.”

Kjuan: “I feel like more people are going to join. If DRW students really see what we’re doing out there, I feel like they’ll be proud or at least happy to join, come talk about their experience, and get more comfortable. Our community has been through so much trauma and has bottled up so much anger that taking advantage of this space we created could support them in their healing journey.”

Kendall: “I think the impact that it would have is a big one because a lot of kids that go to this school have been involved in gun violence, grown up around it, and have seen it from their younger childhood until now.”

Brickey: “I have seen TTP impact students’ confidence and ability to articulate their feelings surrounding gun violence. It has given them a safe space to speak up and feel heard.”

In what ways has TTP impacted you?

Jamill: “It allowed me to grow more empathy for people and understand people’s feelings. It allowed me to understand that, sometimes, you could be going through something, and somebody else can be going through the same thing. There are just different ways people show it. It taught me to be thoughtful and mindful of everybody else’s feelings and opinions because everybody’s feelings and opinions do matter.”

Kjuan: “It’s made me better at talking because I haven’t talked in front of anybody. And it made me realize that gun violence happens everywhere. It’s not only DRW students who speak about gun violence. You have Highland Park, Roosevelt, and Baker. Those schools are not in the same area— they are very much spread apart. So, I feel like I learned that gun violence can really happen anywhere.”

Kendall: “It impacted me in a good way. It made me better with public speaking. It has also shown me that there’s a bigger world out there that has also experienced worse than what I’ve experienced.

Kendall and Jamill stand to the side of a posterboard as they present their project. Kendall is talking with his hands emphasizing his point. He is a young man with short black locs and dark brown skin. He is wearing a black DRW t-shirt and jacket.

Kendall (left) talks to a group of judges about their project with Jamill (right).

Brickey: “TTP has given me the space to not just grieve, but also heal alongside students this year. Losing scholars to gun violence in the past year, even when I hadn’t personally taught them, was heartbreaking. And I was looking for a place to process this heartbreak. TTP has offered me a way to experience joy in the face of some of the most challenging moments of my teaching career.”

After the loss of a student to gun violence, Together Towards Peace gave the DRW community a space to connect, heal, and take action. DRW students didn’t just share their pain—they supported and uplifted each other, turning the program into a powerful space for empathy and impactful storytelling. Their efforts show that when young people are equipped and supported, they step up and help others do the same. Gun violence won’t end overnight, but with students like ours, we’re making progress.

A group of DRW students along with two of their teachers stand around a posterboard with their Together Towards Peace project on it. Many are wearing the butterfly t-shirts and throwing up peace signs.

The entire DRW College Prep Together Towards Peace cohort at the final event.

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