The U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services today announced more than $38 million in grants to 20 communities to make schools safer, foster children's development, and prevent aggressive and violent behavior and drug and alcohol use among the nation's youth.

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SSHS) Program supports urban, rural, suburban and tribal school district efforts to link prevention activities and community-based services and thus to strengthen local approaches to violence prevention and child development.

This collaboration among the three federal agencies will help these communities design and put into place comprehensive educational, mental health, social service, law enforcement and juvenile justice services for youth. The grants announced today fund 20 new three-year projects, adding to 77 Safe Schools/Healthy Students projects funded over the past two years.

"Communities know best which comprehensive approaches are well suited to their local needs," said U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige. "But the safety, well-being and academic achievement of our children can be improved through the use of research-based approaches to reducing school violence and drug use and coordination between schools, families and community organizations."

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson added, "We are committed to raising our children so they can resolve problems without resorting to violence. These new grants focus our resources on the best ways to build safe schools that support the healthy development of our youth."

The school-based community partnerships include rural, urban, suburban and tribal projects. School districts submitted comprehensive plans created in partnership with law enforcement officials, local mental health authorities, juvenile justice officials and community-based organizations. Plans were required to address six elements:

• a safe school environment;
• violence, alcohol and drug abuse prevention and early intervention programs;
• school and community mental health preventive and treatment intervention services;
• early childhood psychosocial and emotional development services;
• educational reform; and,
• safe school policies

Applications—judged for their strength, comprehensiveness, viability and potential for success—-were reviewed by an interdepartmental team that made recommendations to the cabinet departments.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of grantees, contacts and grant amounts follows:

Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative Grants, FY2001