March 2023
Latest News
Multiple Federal Agencies Release Funding Opportunities
Several federal grant programs on a range of school safety topics, including student mental health and targeted violence prevention, have recently opened application periods. Newly released and open funding opportunities for K-12 schools and districts include:
- The U.S. Department of Justice’s Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence, which provides funding to communities to develop community-based approaches to help children and their families who are exposed to violence, the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, which provides funding to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting violence intervention and prevention programs, and the COPS Hiring Program, which provides resources directly to law enforcement agencies to hire and/or rehire additional career law enforcement officers including funding for school resource officers.
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education (AWARE), which provides funding to implement school-based mental health programs and services through collaborative partnerships, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category III, Community Treatment and Service Centers, which aims to increase access to effective trauma- and grief-focused treatment and service systems for children, adolescents, and their families who experience traumatic events.
- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Grant Program, which includes a suite of risk-based grants that fund a range of preparedness activities, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funding to support physical security enhancements for nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack, and the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Grant Program, which provides funding to establish or enhance capabilities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism.
- The U.S. Department of Education’s on-going School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program, which funds short-term education-related services for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education to help them recover from a violent or traumatic event in which the learning environment has been disrupted.
Learn more about these grants and find additional school safety-related funding opportunities on the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool.
CDC Releases Youth Risk Behavior Survey Report
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that administrators and educators can use to better understand the challenges and risks students are facing. The report, “Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021,” provides surveillance data on behaviors and experiences among high school students related to health and well-being. It also includes data on social determinants of health and protective factors, such as school connectedness.
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week Begins on March 20
March 20-26 is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week® (NDAFW), a week-long observance intended to inspire dialogue about the science of drug use and addiction among youth. Learn more about NDAFW and its corresponding events, and visit SchoolSafety.gov’s mental health topic page to find resources for schools and parents on mental health and substance use prevention, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) “Talk. They Hear You.” campaign.
Participate in the Quad Cyber Challenge this April
The Quad Cyber Challenge, occurring on April 10-14, is a call to action for every internet user to learn more about cybersecurity and protect themselves and their devices from the growing threats of online attacks. By being informed about cyber risks and how to reduce them, everyone – including parents, students, teachers, and school staff – can counter the efforts of bad actors and build stronger cyber defenses at home, at school, and across the K-12 community. Sign up to take the Cyber Challenge and learn the simple steps you and your school can take to commit to safe and secure online practices.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
March Deadlines
April Deadlines
May Deadlines
Ongoing
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
Embrace, Encourage, and Engage: Family and Caregiver Access to Child and Youth Mental Health Resources (March 22) – This webinar, hosted by the Administration for Children and Families and SAMHSA, is designed to provide parents and caregivers with information and resources to recognize, manage, and support their children’s mental health needs.
Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents (April 4) – This webinar, hosted by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's Region 9, is designed to enhance skills and knowledge necessary to respond to school bomb threats and school bombing incidents. The event will provide information on the purpose and function of school emergency management plans, warning signs of aggressive student behavior, critical actions when responding to a school bombing threat, recognition of Improvised Explosive Devices and components, and preventive school bombing incident measures.
School Mental Health Virtual Learning Series (April 11 & May 9) – This webinar series, hosted by the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, in collaboration with the National Center for School Mental Health, focuses on advancing high quality, sustainable school mental health from a multitiered system of support, trauma sensitive, and culturally responsive and equitable lens. Upcoming events in the series include:
Student Privacy and Data Security Spring Webinar Series: Data Security and Data Breach Response (April 19) – This webinar, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office, through its Privacy Technical Assistance Center, will provide information on data security best practices for education data systems, including user privacy and security awareness, privacy and security program development/implementation, threat modeling, and attacker methodology. It will also include a walkthrough of a simulated data breach and best practices for schools, districts, and universities looking to build or enhance their cyber incident response capabilities.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
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School Safety Resources
Bullying and Cyberbullying Resources
Bullying Prevention Strategies and Resources for K-12 Schools
This infographic includes an overview of bullying, strategies for schools to consider to help identify, prevent, and address bullying, and resources available through SchoolSafety.gov to learn more.
Tips for Teachers on Cyberbullying
This webpage provides information for teachers, school personnel, and staff to identify warning signs for when a child is being cyberbullied or is cyberbullying, as well as strategies to prevent and address it.
Child Exploitation Resources
Child Sex Trafficking in America: A Guide for Parents and Guardians
This guide offers information for parents and guardians on child sex trafficking, including an overview on the victims and perpetrators, tips for keeping children safe, and warning signs.
Preventing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Leveraging the Best Available Evidence
This resource was designed to help states and communities use the best available evidence to prevent ACEs and features six strategies from CDC’s Technical Packages to Prevent Violence. It focuses on changing norms, environments, and behaviors in ways that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place as well as lessen harm when they do occur.
Mental Health Resources
Coping with School Tragedies
This webpage outlines resources on addressing crises that occur in school communities and how to move forward in the aftermath of these tragedies.
Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) Field Operations Guide
This resource provides guidance on responding to disaster, violence, or terrorism events using the Psychological First Aid intervention. It gives school administrators, educators, and staff practical assistance to meet immediate needs and concerns, reduce distress, and foster adaptive coping in the wake of a disaster.
Visit SchoolSafety.gov for additional resources to support school safety and security efforts.
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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.
SchoolSafety.gov Disclaimer
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Education (ED), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) do not endorse any individual, enterprise, product, or service. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not mandate or prescribe practices, models, or other activities described in this communication. DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any information outside of those respective Departments, and the opinions expressed in any of these materials do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of DHS, ED, DOJ, and HHS.
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