Knoxville — Gun violence and its impact on schools is driving a new effort by high school students in Oak Ridge.
Earlier this year a shooting in Parkland, Florida killed 17 people, and 17 others were hurt.
The Gun Violence Archive recorded 293 mass shootings in 2018 so far.
The Oak Ridge Board of Education recently approved the student group Wildcats4Change.
They're devoted to stopping gun violence.
"It was really moving to be honest," Oak Ridge junior and student leader for the group, Avigail Duke said.
It was a pretty big torch to pass.
"Seeing some of the seniors take a stand on that issue was inspirational," Duke said.
But Oak Ridge High juniors Lauren Schenk and Duke were ready.
Last spring, nearly 200 students came out for a rally in honor of Parkland shooting victims.
"It was started by a senior who graduated last year," Schenk said. "So she reached out to us, and was like I want to start a group where this continues, I don't want it to be just a one time thing, where we did just the rally. We want more things to happen."
The newest leaders of Wildcats4Change are keeping the non-partisan, anti-gun violence and political student club moving forward.
Monday night, the Oak Ridge Board of Education officially approved the group so they can start meeting.
"If you have a passion for anything, anything to do with politics, you're welcome to just come and talk," Schenk said.
They'll meet each week to encourage learning about politics through guest speakers and having discussions on political topics.
"The people who are being affected by the school shootings, are largely the children who are in those schools, and I think they need to be asked, because they do--they have ideas about what should happen, and I think that's important, and I think they should be respected and listened to," Duke said.
Those voices want to join Stoneman Douglas High School students who spoke against gun violence after the shooting.
"People were targeting them for what they said, but I think it was amazing to see their strength and for them sticking by what they believe in," Duke said. "And I hope we can bring that spirit to this group and to Oak Ridge to help better our community."
Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer says a lot of times, students wait on the teacher or an adult to move forward on an idea.
But he's proud that in this situation, that clearly wasn't the case.