A Safe Place: Building Safer, Stronger Communities Together

Join Luis D. Aponte for an insightful session focused on recognizing early warning signs and building emotional strength in youth. Luis delivers a research‑driven roadmap communities can use to prevent school violence and foster emotional safety for every child. Drawing on real stories and practical solutions, it equips families, educators, and local leaders with clear steps to build resilience, manage stress, and recognize warning signs before tragedy occurs. Framed by values of care, stewardship, and shared responsibility, the session inspires hope and unity and shows how every community member can make a difference — from securing firearms responsibly to volunteering in schools and launching kindness campaigns. Participants will leave with simple, local actions, conversation starters, and volunteer suggestions that strengthen bonds, protect children, and create safer, more compassionate neighborhoods for generations to come.

Luis D. Aponte is a librarian, U.S. Air Force veteran, and the author of *A Safe Place: How to Prevent the Next School Shooting *and *The Ultimate U.S. School Shooting Reference Guide, Volumes 1–3*, works dedicated to school safety and gun‑violence prevention. A former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the site of the 2018 Parkland, Florida mass school shooting (though he attended many years before the shooting there), he has spent seven years researching more than 1,200 U.S. school‑shooting incidents to identify patterns and practical solutions. He holds a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida, and his work has appeared in the Mt. Vernon Gazette, Fairfax Connection, and the peer‑reviewed journal EDUCATION. Luis lives in Virginia, enjoys "forest bathing" in national parks with his wife, and is committed to empowering communities with practical, nonpartisan strategies to keep children and educators safe.