MOBILE, Alabama (Aug. 27, 2024) – Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson on Tuesday proclaimed Aug. 26-30 as Project Inspire Week, recognizing Project Inspire, an injury prevention program for teens based at USA Health University Hospital.

The proclamation, read at the Mobile City Council meeting, notes that Alabama has the fourth highest rate of gun violence in the nation and that firearms are the leading cause of death among children and teens in the state.

It urges Mobilians to support youth empowerment and public safety initiatives. It encourages Mobile’s youth to take positive action, and calls upon justice, education and health systems, policymakers, and leaders to unite in reducing gun violence and empowering the most vulnerable.

“This proclamation is a significant milestone that allows us to recognize the current impact of gun violence on our local youth while also highlighting the efforts of many who work tirelessly every day to empower and equip our youth to reach their full potential. Project Inspire is just one of many programs bringing about positive change in our community, and I’m just honored to be a part of the movement,” said Ashley Williams Hogue, M.D., a trauma surgeon at USA Health, co-founder of Project Inspire and director of the USA Center for Healthy Communities.

Since 2018, Project Inspire has served the community as a hospital-based injury prevention program that utilizes a robust curriculum to provide education, exposure, and new experiences to teens. The curriculum is administered over the course of a semester and includes trauma-informed training and confidence building, educational and professional development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and mentorship.

University Hospital’s Fanny Meisler Trauma Center provides the space for students to explore the health system, but many activities take place in the community highlighting all that Mobile has to offer. Our students engage with a diverse group of caring adults that provide a variety of experiences including cooking classes, local college tours, conversations with local entrepreneurs, resume creation and practice job interviews, Stop the Bleed and Basic Life Support training, suturing and laparoscopic surgery labs, community service projects, and more!

Earlier this month, Project Inspire alumni met with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention in Washington, D.C., to discuss their experiences and solutions to gun violence. In June, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention convened more than 80 healthcare executives and providers, including Williams Hogue, to discuss ways to address gun violence, recognizing it as a public health issue.

The seventh class of Project Inspire begins Sept. 9. As we celebrate Project Inspire Week, we urge everyone to remember, “If we inspire one, we’ve inspired many.”

To learn more about Project Inspire, visit southalabama.edu/inspire and follow USA Health University Hospital on Facebook and Instagram.