School Safety Professional Development Grant Application Opens August 1st
The School Safety Professional Development grant application will open at 8:00 am on August 1st. Montana’s Legislature created this funding opportunity for school districts to support the delivery of school safety professional development in six domains:
- Youth suicide prevention
- Youth substance use prevention
- School violence and bullying prevention
- School safety and emergency operations planning
- Disaster drills and emergency preparedness training
- School safety technology training
School districts can apply for grants between $1,000 and $10,000 to support professional development training during the 2023/2024 school year. School districts are encouraged to begin writing their applications now and apply as soon as possible when the application opens. Schools will be awarded on a first come, first served basis with preference going to districts who have not yet been awarded through this funding opportunity. Grant reviews will begin the week of August 15th and awards will be given on a rolling basis until the funds are expended. The grant application and more information can be found at the School Safety Professional Development Grant website. If you have questions, please reach out to Michele Henson at 406.595.1058 or michele.henson@mt.gov.
EVERFI Health and Wellness Courses
Prescription Drug Safety: Know the Truth is a newly updated, free digital course recommended for grades 8-12, that educates students about potential dangers of misusing prescription medications, including fentanyl. The course explores the impact misuse can have on physical and mental health, relationships, communities, and the future. Students uncover what constitutes appropriate use, storage and disposal, as well as identify misuse and abuse.
Vaping: Know the Truth is a national youth vaping prevention course designed to educate students about the dangers of e-cigarette use. In addition to encouraging students to live vape-free lives, this course offers resources to help young people who are currently using e-cigarettes to quit with support from Truth Initiative’s first-of-its-kind text messaging program. “This is Quitting” has already helped over 600,000 youth and young adults on their journeys to quit.
For more information and course access, check out EVERFI's Quick Start Guide.
For more information about EVERFI in Montana, contact Sean Thomas at k12central@everfi.com.
"About Vaping" Tobacco Prevention Presentations for Students
Thousands of Montana middle and high school students have participated in classroom presentations designed to increase awareness about the risks of vaping. The 2023-24 school year will provide the OPI Tobacco Use Prevention Education program an opportunity to increase their focus on 4th through 6th grade presentations.These are typically 30-40 minutes in length and designed to supplement a district's tobacco prevention related health curriculum. Key points about vaping include: nicotine is addictive, it's not a harmless water vapor, and safer doesn't mean safe. These engaging presentations highlight harmful effects of vaping, the high cost of nicotine addiction - financial, physical, social and emotional, how teens have been targeted by the tobacco industry, real stories from real kids and quitting resources designed specifically for youth.
Regardless of grade level, if you're interested in scheduling a grade level appropriate presentation for your school for the 2023-24 school year, please inquire here or contact Kris Minard at kminard@mt.gov or 406.444.0785.
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The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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