We noticed you are interested in open courses offered by the Johns Hopkins University on Coursera and wanted to reach out with a new exciting opportunity brought to you by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – the University’s first-ever Teach-Out on firearm purchaser licensing policies.  

What is a Teach-Out? Good question! Like other courses you may be familiar with, a Teach-Out is free, online and open to the public, however, it’s shorter - only four weeks! – no quizzes or deadlines, focuses on one topic, and encourages interactive discussions and calls to action in your own community.  

On January 20, 2020, the Bloomberg School’s Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research and the Center for Teaching and Learning are launching Firearm Purchaser Licensing: The Background Check Policy Not Enough People are Talking About, to give you a closer look into firearm purchaser licensing policies. You will learn about the most current research on this evidence-based solution to gun violence as well as an understanding of the social context of purchaser licensing and how different geographic regions and social groups view the policies.   

This new Teach-Out complements the Center for Gun Policy and Research’s course, Reducing Gun Violence in America: Evidence for Change, and is also led by Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, Deputy Director of the Center for Gun Policy and Research and Assistant Professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of Health Policy and Management and faculty in the Center.  

At a time when gun violence is at epidemic proportions and the need for evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence falls concurrently with an impending presidential election, this Teach-Out presents a timely opportunity to share important information concerning the critical role of purchaser licensing laws.  

It is our hope that through these various perspectives and collaborative contributions, Firearm Purchaser Licensing: The Background Check Policy Not Enough People are Talking About will help you better understand purchaser licensing policies and participate productive discussion of these laws as effective, evidence-based policy solutions. 

Register now for the Teach-Out! Together we can – and will – prevent gun violence.