Santa Fe students lead WAVE program, promote Gun Violence Prevention Week and resources

Joe Abeyta, host of the Santa Fe Public Schools podcast, welcomed WAVE student leaders and Jen Jefferson, assistant director of student wellness, to discuss the district’s Gun Violence Prevention Week and related student-led efforts.

The WAVE program (Wellness Ambassadors to Voice and Empower) is a student-run leadership initiative that focuses on suicide prevention, gun violence prevention, substance abuse awareness and student advocacy, said Yosaline Galdamez Menhivar, a member of the WAVE Leadership Council. “The WAVE program... is definitely a program that is youth driven, and it's all about youth leadership,” she said.

Jefferson said Santa Fe Public Schools has supported gun-violence-prevention activities for more than a decade and established a local Gun Violence Prevention Week in March. The week centers on three initiatives: signing the student pledge against gun violence, using the Say Something anonymous reporting system, and encouraging students to seek help from counselors or crisis lines such as 988.

Stacy B. Hill, a junior at ATC and WAVE member, described the pledge’s purpose: the pledge — first created in 1996 and used in SFPS for more than 10 years — asks signers to commit not to use guns to resolve conflicts. “Students will sign the pledge promising not to use guns to solve any problems or disputes,” Hill said.

The podcast included practical safety steps. Galdamez Menhivar showed a gun lock and said the devices are free and available upon request at every school site that hosts WAVE and at the Office of Student Wellness at BF Young. “These are free, and they're provided, upon request at every school site,” she said, adding that the district encourages locked storage, separate ammunition and unloaded firearms to reduce risk.

The district’s Say Something reporting system allows students to submit anonymous tips from Chromebooks or phones; reports route to principals and safety teams for assessment and response. Jefferson emphasized anonymity is preserved except in cases where a serious threat legally requires law enforcement follow-up.

WAVE members described outreach and visibility at their schools — weekly lunch meetings, counselor referrals and peer-to-peer support — and said the program spans middle and high schools in the district. “It’s as easy as just showing up, and we will always welcome anyone with open arms,” Galdamez Menhivar said about joining at Santa Fe High; ATC uses an application process and typically accepts most students.

The episode also highlighted a youth-designed mural at the Santa Fe Teen Center (6600 Valentine Way). Jefferson said 11 young people worked as a paid work crew over several weeks to plan and paint the roughly 40-by-10-foot mural; QR codes next to the artwork trigger augmented reality that includes a poem by youth poet laureate Sofia Salazar. The mural project was funded through the City of Santa Fe For Violence Prevention program in partnership with New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence and WAVE.

Jefferson said the Santa Fe Public Schools board reaffirmed a resolution in October endorsing gun-violence-prevention efforts, Gun Violence Prevention Week, the pledge and the Say Something reporting tool; she described resolutions as public impact statements endorsing district priorities.

For students who want to join WAVE, members advised contacting school counselors (for example, Miss Gomez or the counselor’s office at Santa Fe High), attending Tuesday lunch meetings, or checking wavesantafe.com for a list of participating schools and sponsor contacts. Jefferson said WAVE runs at 11 middle and high schools in the district.

The podcast closed with thanks to student leaders and a reminder of available supports and resources. Jefferson and the students encouraged adults and peers to listen to young people’s concerns and to use the district’s prevention tools.

Next steps: Gun Violence Prevention Week will run Monday through Friday in March; listeners were directed to wavesantafe.com and their school’s counselor to learn more or sign the student pledge.