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SchoolSafety.gov - October 2022 School Safety Community Bulletin: Events, Opportunities, and Resources

  • 1.  SchoolSafety.gov - October 2022 School Safety Community Bulletin: Events, Opportunities, and Resources

    Posted 10-17-2022 10:26:00 AM

    Please see the latest news, events, opportunities, and resources for October from SchoolSafety.gov.

    Latest News

    Department of Education Announces $280 Million in Funding to Increase School-Based Mental Health Providers
    The U.S. Department of Education recently announced two grant programs totaling $280 million to increase access to mental health services for students, funded through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The programs provide funding to schools to increase the number of credentialed school-based mental health professionals and to support districts in hiring additional school-based mental health service providers in high-need districts by boosting the mental health profession pipeline. Read more.

    See Yourself in Cyber this Cybersecurity Awareness Month
    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) See Yourself in Cyber campaign empowers everyone to adopt basic cyber hygiene practices throughout the year. These practices include enabling multi-factor authentication, using strong passwords, recognizing and reporting phishing, and regularly updating software. Learn more about the steps the K-12 school community can take to mitigate the threat of cyberattacks with this infographic from SchoolSafety.gov.

    SchoolSafety.gov Recognizes America's Safe Schools Week
    October 16-22 marks America's Safe Schools Week, which draws attention to the continuing problem of school violence and educates everyone about how schools can be made safer and more secure. Follow SchoolSafety.gov's Twitter, @SchoolSafetyGov, for tips next week on a range of school safety topics to help support K-12 schools in creating and sustaining safe and supportive learning environments.

    October is National Bullying Prevention Month
    Everyone in the school community can work together to create an environment where bullying is not acceptable. This National Bullying Prevention Month, parents, school staff, and other adults in the school community can help prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy. Visit StopBullying.gov for resources to prevent and address bullying in your school community.

    CISA to Host National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security
    CISA will host an inaugural National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security on November 1-3, 2022. This free, virtual event will feature sessions for all members of the K-12 community, including keynote remarks, one-on-one interviews, and panel discussions on issues such as violence prevention, cybersecurity, online safety, and physical security. Learn more and register.


    Upcoming Events and Opportunities


    Grants and Funding Opportunities

    Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.

    Events, Webinars, and Conferences

    Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Application Technical Assistance Webinar (October 18) – This webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of Safe and Supportive Schools in partnership with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments will assist applicants who might have questions about the application process and grant procedures for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant program.

    School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Application Technical Assistance Webinar (October 19) – This webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of Safe and Supportive Schools in partnership with the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments will assist applicants who might have questions about the application process and grant procedures for the School-Based Mental Health Services grant program.

    Protecting Children in a Digital Age (October 20) – This virtual seminar hosted by the National Criminal Justice Training Center will help attendees understand the different types of technology used by children and teens, recognize the most common online issues that youth are likely to face, and focus on a proactive approach to digital safety.

    Mental Health Learning Series: Reducing Stigma and Improving Access to Mental Health Services (October 25) – The third and final session in this U.S. Department of Education webinar series on mental health will focus on how states and districts can reduce stigmas and improve access to mental health services for students.

    2022 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security (November 1-3) – This three-day virtual event hosted by CISA will convene school safety experts, practitioners, and leaders from across the country to discuss current threats in school safety and explore research-informed strategies for addressing security challenges and risks in K-12 schools.

    Learning Without Violence: A School Violence Prevention Virtual Summit (February 15, 2023) – This half-day virtual summit hosted by the National Center for School Safety, the University of Michigan Injury Prevention Center, and the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention will disseminate research, facilitate new collaborations, and explore school violence prevention strategies.  

    First Steps for Engaging Your School Safety Network (On-Demand) – This self-paced training offered by the National Center for School Safety teaches participants how to identify their school safety network and plan effective engagement strategies.

    Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.

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    New School Safety Resources

    Emergency Planning

    Assessing Your School Site
    This training course helps K-12 schools and districts understand what site assessments are and how they can be used to inform school emergency operations plans and safety, security, emergency management, and preparedness programs.

    Earthquake Preparedness for K-12 Schools and Districts
    This training course was designed to help participants understand earthquakes and how K-12 schools and school districts can prepare for this natural hazard.

    K-12 School Planning and Response Teams: Developing and Enhancing the School Emergency Operations Plan
    This checklist summarizes key elements that will help school personnel (administrators, educators, and staff), with their community partners, develop a school emergency operations plan (EOP). It can assist schools in developing a new EOP or refreshing their existing plan.

    School District Planning and Response Teams: Developing and Enhancing the School Emergency Operations Plan
    This checklist summarizes key elements that will help district level core planning teams, with their school-specific teams and community partners, develop or enhance a school EOP.

    Mental Health and School Climate

    LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools: A Self-Assessment Tool
    This self-assessment tool was created to assist school and district staff in addressing the health and academic needs of LGBTQ students, and to understand current policies, programs, and practices that may contribute to safe, inclusive environments where all youth can be successful.

    Supporting Mental Health via Technology
    This information sheet reviews the value of focusing on mental health in schools, with an emphasis on leveraging technology. It highlights practical recommendations Title IV-A State coordinators can share with local education agencies (LEAs) to support their efforts to promote mental health strategies and skills, including links to resources LEAs and school staff may find useful for planning and implementation.

    Additional School Safety Topics 

    Creating Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Schools
    This webpage includes resources for schools to promote a safe, healthy learning environment by improving indoor air quality and breathability.

    VetoViolence: Preventing Youth Violence
    This webpage contains information, data, and resources to support youth violence prevention efforts.

    Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional school safety resources.

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    If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact us at SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov. Follow @SchoolSafetyGov on Twitter for additional school safety updates.

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    Adam Lustig
    Director, Center for Safe Schools
    National School Boards Association
    Alexandria, VA
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