More than $74 million in grants have been awarded to 27 states as part of a joint effort by the U.S. departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice to support schools in creating safe learning environments that promote healthy childhood development and prevent youth violence and drug use.

The highly competitive grant program, known as the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, attracted 355 applications nationally.

Under the initiative, school district, in partnership with their local public mental health agencies, and local law-enforcement and juvenile justice entities, must implement a comprehensive, community-wide plan that focuses on the following elements:

• Safe school environments and violence prevention activities
• Alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention activities
• Student behavioral, social and emotional supports
• Mental health services
• Early childhood social and emotional learning programs.

"When children go to school in safe, healthy environments, they can thrive and learn," said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "These grants will provide students with enhanced access to services and programs that will help them avoid harmful activities and achieve their potential."

"Providing a safe and healthy environment is the first step in nurturing a growing child's development," said Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs Jeffrey L. Sedgwick. "Through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative, we are helping children to fulfill their potential and ultimately strengthening communities by giving young people the tools to abstain from drugs and violence."

"Results from the first national cross-site evaluation of the Safe Schools, Healthy Students Initiative indicate that this program works," said Terry Cline, administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which manages the program on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Elementary school teachers reported a significant reduction in classroom bullying and fighting and a 21 percent reduction in feeling threatened by a student. Middle and high schools students indicated significantly lower rates of use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, as well as reduced rates of violence and higher rates of feeling safer at school."

The Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative draws on the best practices of education, juvenile justice, law enforcement and mental health systems to provide integrated resources for prevention and early intervention services for children and youth.

Since 1999, the Education, Justice and Health and Human Services departments have administered the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, which has provided more than $1.3 billion to local educational, mental health, law enforcement and juvenile justice partnerships.

The grants are awarded under the No Child Left Behind Act.

A complete list of grantees can be found at www.ed.gov/programs/dvpsafeschools/fy2008awards.html. For more information on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, visit www.ed.gov/programs/dvpsafeschools/index.html or www.sshs.samhsa.gov.

###

Top

Back to July 2008