The Breakdown: Student Heroes Save Lives During STEM School Shooting

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The One Big Thing

Students In STEM School Shooting Tackle Gunman, Save Lives

Two students opened fire Tuesday inside STEM School, a Colorado charter school near Columbine High School, killing one classmate, Kendrick Castillo, and injuring eight others before being taken into custody. According to a classmate, Castillo, 18, reportedly died while lunging at the shooter, “giving all of us enough time to get underneath our desks, to get ourselves safe, and to run across the room to escape.” Thanks to his actions and those of his fellow classmate Brendan Bialy, many lives were likely saved. In the years since the Columbine shooting, more than 228,000 children have been exposed to gun violence during classroom hours. Read our guide to learn more about the shooting (including the heroes) and how you can take action.

(Pop) Culture Shock

Nike Partners With Stock Photo Site TONL to Elevate Stories Of Young Women Of Color

From the brand that brought us Serena Williams’s iconic catsuit, the Pro Hijab, and inclusive sizing, comes a new campaign to elevate often untold stories. Nike recently announced that they’ve partnered with the stock photo company TONL to capture the stories of young women of color who play soccer. As it stands, female athletes receive just 4% of all media coverage compared to men. By telling these stories Nike and TONL say they are “dedicated through their 'narratives' feature to tell a series of rich, multigenerational stories of women using sport to inspire themselves while empowering others.” The timing here is perfect, as the FIFA Women’s World Cup will begin in France this June (and I’ll be in Paris to see the US team score back-to-back championships!!!).

The Good News Is...

Instagram Co-Launches The #RealConvo Campaign To Support Those Affected By Suicide

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Instagram is teaming up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to raise awareness of mental health on social media. The #RealConvo Campaign encourages people to use the hashtag to speak more openly about their experiences and struggles with mental health. "I think the more we have conversations about mental health,” says activist and actress Jari Jones in her #RealConvo video, “the less stigmatized it becomes and the more people are willing to talk." The campaign arrives on the heels of recent efforts by celebs like Selena Gomez and Sophie Turner, who have opened up about their experiences in order to destigmatize mental health.

That's What She Said

“Being student-led makes a difference because we can connect to students in ways adults can’t, as we are going through the same things.”

Celia Ziliak, 16, speaking on how student-led movements create social change. Celia is the founder of (S)HE Matters, a movement for sexual harassment education in Kentucky schools.

Quick Hitters

Why aren’t more people talking about… how Britain just went a week without coal for the first time in...137 years?!

Meanwhile, in Indonesia... a local Islamic organization produced a series of sign language videos that allow Deaf Muslims to study the Quran.

My heroes today are… the students from Desert View HS in Arizona, who marched miles to their sheriff’s office to support a fellow classmate facing possible deportation weeks before graduation.

I’m obsessed with… that’s right, YET ANOTHER DoSomething dog! Meet Pepper, who belongs to our software engineers, Katie!