Faith Communities & Firearm Injury Prevention
featuring Gregory Engel, MD, MPH, President of Ceasefire Northwest, and Greg Schwab, Assistant Superintendent of the Edmonds School District
Firearm injury and death affect families and communities across our country. For more than a decade, Dr. Engel and his colleagues have worked to bring evidence-based firearm injury prevention education to students in Washington schools. Over the past three years, Greg Schwab has helped lead efforts to expand this education throughout the Edmonds School District. Their work reflects a straightforward principle: young people deserve accurate, age-appropriate information that helps them understand firearm injury as a preventable public health problem and equips them to make informed decisions.
- How can congregations help young people and families access reliable information?
- How can faith leaders foster thoughtful, constructive conversations about safety, responsibility, and the value of human life?
- How might faith communities work with schools, health professionals, and other community partners to advance firearm injury prevention education?
About Dr. Gregory Engel
Dr. Gregory Engel is a family physician, epidemiologist, and public health educator with more than 35 years of experience in clinical care, medical education, and community health. He is the founder and director of Firearm Injury Prevention Educators, a Washington State–based initiative that has delivered nonpartisan, evidence-based firearm injury prevention education to more than 17,000 high school students.
He is cofounder and president of Ceasefire Northwest, where he leads the development and expansion of public health–informed curricula designed to empower young people to prevent firearm injuries and build safer communities. A former disease-transmission researcher and longtime clinical faculty member at the University of Washington, Dr. Engel continues to work at the intersection of science, education, and community engagement to advance effective, prevention-focused approaches to firearm harm.
About Greg Schwab
Greg Schwab is an assistant superintendent with Edmonds School District, where he supports school leaders and staff across the district and oversees work in student safety, school operations, and student support. His responsibilities include behavioral threat assessment, emergency preparedness, discipline, and partnerships that help schools respond to student needs.
Greg works with educators, families, and community partners to strengthen safe, supportive school environments. His approach to firearm harm reduction is grounded in prevention, practical safety measures, and the shared responsibility to protect students and the communities around them.
