August 2023
Latest News
SchoolSafety.gov Launches Back-to-School Campaign
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice, announced a new public awareness campaign to highlight federal school safety resources and evidence-based practices available through SchoolSafety.gov. Through the initiative, SchoolSafety.gov will release a range of resources, including a video, communications toolkit, and infographics, to help schools learn more about how to enhance school safety, access support, and discover information and tools to help create and sustain welcoming, safe, and supportive environments. Learn more about the campaign and find out how you can get involved here.
Federal Agencies Announce New Efforts to Strengthen K-12 Schools’ Cybersecurity
The federal government unveiled new actions and resources to strengthen the cybersecurity of K-12 school systems and help school and district leaders better protect students and staff against cyberattacks. These efforts include the release of guidance documents to assist educational leaders in building and sustaining core digital infrastructure for learning, the proposal of a pilot program to provide $200 million to strengthen cyber defenses in K-12 schools and libraries, and updated cybersecurity incident reporting resource guides. Agencies also announced plans to provide tailored assessments, facilitated exercises, and cybersecurity training for hundreds of K-12 entities over the coming school year, as well as the upcoming establishment of a Government Coordinating Council that will coordinate activities, policy, and communications between, and amongst, federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial education leaders. In addition to these activities, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched a new Cybersecurity for K-12 Education page to provide access to resources and information that can help schools be more cyber secure and resilient. Read more here.
HHS Awards Millions in Grants that Safeguard Youth Mental Health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, recently awarded more than $88 million in its continuing effort to safeguard the nation’s behavioral health and address youth mental health challenges. The awards include $42.2 million for Project Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education, known as Project AWARE, to help develop and support school-based mental health programs and services, and $17.5 million for the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, a program that improves treatment and services for children, adolescents, and families who have experienced traumatic events. Read the full announcement here.
DHS Announces Additional $374.9 Million in Funding to Boost State, Local Cybersecurity
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the availability of $374.9 million in grant funding for the Fiscal Year 2023 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, which provides funding to help states, local governments, and territories address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems. The program enables targeted cybersecurity investments in recipient agencies, thus improving the security of critical infrastructure and resilience of the services that state, local, and territorial governments provide to their communities. Learn more about the cybersecurity grant program here.
Mark Your Calendar: September is National Suicide Prevention Month
September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness and share resources to support those affected by this serious public health issue. Schools are critical partners in promoting the health and wellbeing of students and can implement a variety of suicide prevention and mental health programs to support youth at risk, connect students to services, and normalize asking for help. Find out how you can take part in National Suicide Prevention Month, learn more about the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and access school-specific suicide prevention and mental health resources on SchoolSafety.gov.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Grants and Funding Opportunities
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program – Local Solicitation (Deadline: August 24)
Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program – State Solicitation (Deadline: August 29)
State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (Deadline: October 6)
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (Ongoing)
Project SERV (Ongoing)
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool for additional school safety-related funding opportunities.
Events, Webinars, and Conferences
School Mental Health Virtual Learning Series: From Assessment to Action: Enhancing Organizational Well-Being in Schools (September 12) – This webinar, hosted by the Central East Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network in collaboration with the National Center for School Mental Health, is part of a virtual learning series that focuses on advancing high quality, sustainable school mental health from a multi-tiered system of support, trauma-sensitive, culturally responsive, and equitable lens.
"Be Well: Centering Mental Health in Schools" Webinar - Part II (September 13) – This webinar, hosted by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, will feature a panel of school leaders, students, federal government officials, and experts who will discuss the current state of student and educator mental health and policies to improve the tools available to K-12 schools.
Facebook Live: Youth Suicide Prevention (September 19) – This Facebook Live event, hosted by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), will focus on youth suicide prevention in recognition of National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. The program will feature a NIMH-expert led discussion on how to talk to youth about suicide risk, how to identify the warning signs of suicide, risk factors for suicide, and NIMH-supported research on interventions for youth suicide prevention.
2023 National Summit on K-12 School Safety and Security (November 1-2) – This two-day virtual event, hosted by CISA, will convene school safety experts, practitioners, and leaders to discuss current threats in school safety and explore research-informed strategies for addressing security challenges and risks in K-12 schools. The event will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions, and one-on-one interviews with government, private sector, and school safety community leaders, who will discuss issues such as violence prevention, cybersecurity, school climate, emergency planning, and student mental health. Registration will open in mid-September.
Visit the SchoolSafety.gov Events Page for additional school safety-related webinars, conferences, and more.
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School Safety Resources
Mental Health Resources
Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators
This tip sheet lists common reactions educators might see in students and suggestions on how to help after community trauma. It describes how traumatic events, such as a natural disaster, school violence, or the death of a peer, can affect students’ learning, behavior, and relationships.
Managing Mental Wellness: Tools for Yourself, Your Students, and Your Classroom
This toolkit offers strategies for teachers to manage their mental wellness personally and in the context of school, provides activities to support students’ social-emotional learning and well-being, and outlines step-by-step tools to respond to students in times of crisis.
What Works In Schools
This program helps promote adolescent health and wellbeing. It supports the implementation of quality health education, increases connections to needed health services, and improves the safety and supportiveness of school environments for middle and high school students.
School Climate Resources
Classroom Management Approaches to Support School Connectedness
This resource outlines example strategies, tools, and templates that school staff can use to apply classroom management approaches to strengthen school connectedness in their face-to-face, virtual, or blended learning modes.
Relationships First: Creating Connections that Help Young People Thrive
This report highlights the importance of healthy, supportive relationships to positive youth outcomes. It articulates the Developmental Relationships Framework and includes information on why developmental relationships matter, how developmental relationships grow, activating relationships in organizations, and ideas for deepening one-on-one relationships (for parents, teachers, and youth workers).
Time to Act: How School Superintendents Keep Equity at the Center of Their Leadership
This resource guide is designed to support superintendents and district leaders to increase action for equity. It includes a self-assessment tool, a discussion of the challenges superintendents face in promoting and sustaining equitable outcomes for all students, an identification of equitable practices across 13 functions that superintendents can lead or oversee, and annotated examples of resources.
Additional School Safety Resources
Back-to-School Resources
This infographic provides an overview of school safety issues and strategies schools can consider as part of a comprehensive, holistic school safety program.
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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