Federal School Safety Grants Aim to Support Local Approaches

The deadline is looming for three U.S. Department of Education grant competitions (FY 2019) that support "locally-tailored" approaches to school safety. All three programs are funded through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The "Project Prevent" program is intended to help districts and schools build their abilities "to identify, assess and serve students exposed to pervasive violence." Funds from the $10 million competition are expected to be used for providing mental health services for trauma or anxiety, support conflict resolution programs or implement other school-based violence prevention strategies. The deadline to apply for one of these grants is July 15, 2019.

The $40 million "School Climate Transformation" competition is intended to provide funding for development, enhancement or expansion of school programs that are focused on improving learning conditions and promoting positive school culture for all students. The deadline to apply is July 22, 2019.

A $15 million "Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration" grants will go to programs in which high-need districts team up with colleges or universities to expand the pipeline of trained school-based mental health services providers. The partnerships will provide opportunities to place graduate students in school-based mental health fields into schools served by the participating districts, where they'll gain required field work, credit hours, internships and related training. The deadline for applying to that competition is Aug. 5, 2019.

"Ensuring that our nation's schools are safe and nurturing places to learn is critical to the well-being, safety and long-term success of all students," said Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, in a statement. "These grants will support state and local leaders as they develop and implement the school safety solutions that will work best for them."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.