Educators for Gun Safety (EGS), an initiative of Confluence Academies, recently received a FOCUS St. Louis 2025 What’s Right With the Region Award.
Honored in the Emerging Initiatives category, EGS was celebrated for its student-led work in gun safety education, advocacy, and community outreach.
Founded in 2022 in response to the rise in gun deaths among children in the St. Louis region, EGS brings together educators, community leaders, and students to raise awareness, distribute resources, and drive policy change.
EGS began by distributing hundreds of free gun locks in partnership with St. Louis Public Schools, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice. Gun locks are now available at every Confluence Academies campus.
The initiative also introduced a gun safety curriculum that reaches every Confluence student. It includes classroom lessons, take-home literature, and special engagement events such as Gun Safety Day and a student-focused Gun Safety Panel.
From that panel, EGS’s Student Ambassadors initiative was born. Students from Confluence Preparatory Academy and Grand Center Arts Academy traveled to Jefferson City in April 2024 to meet with lawmakers.
The group collaborated with community leaders and legislators to introduce a bill during the 2025 legislative session that would establish a state-approved task force.
“EGS is not just about education, it’s about empowering students, shifting culture, and saving lives,” said Dr. Candice Carter-Oliver, CEO of Confluence Academies.
“Receiving a FOCUS St. Louis 2025 What’s Right With the Region Award is a wonderful acknowledgment of the work our students and educators are doing every day.”