The Center for Safe Schools and the Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning offer services and resources available to fulfill funding requests submitted in recent proposals for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency entitled COVID-19 School Health and Safety Grants. These are non-competitive grant issuances for educational organizations that require a few straightforward, streamlined steps to secure funding for your organization. Please contact us for help as you think through fulfilling plans and services outlined in your proposal submission. Below are descriptions these initiatives and how we can help carry the weight of grant funding implementation.
Center for Safe Schools
For more than two decades, the Center for Safe Schools has been committed to developing creative and effective solutions to problems that disrupt the educational process and affect school safety. The Center provides training and technical assistance to help schools identify and implement effective programs and practices and maintain safe, productive learning environments. In addition, the Center serves as a statewide clearinghouse for educators, parents, law enforcement and others on school safety and youth violence prevention. The Center for Safe Schools supports schools, local agencies and parents in developing and practicing emergency management and crisis response plans; creating positive school environments; implementing evidence-based programs; and institutionalizing proactive safety measures in partnership with law enforcement and other community entities to address local needs. Through expert staff, as well as access to a network of state and national researchers and practitioners, the Center provides state-of-the-art professional development, consulting, and resources to schools throughout the commonwealth. LEARN MORE
Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (CPSEL)
Compassionate care for educators, training in trauma-informed SEL practices, professional development to enhance organizational cultural competency and address issues of equity and belonging, workshops in the foundations of SEL, and strategic planning support to help integrate your current district or school plans with new ways to combat the impact of COVID are among the services CPSEL can provide to address your organization’s needs. Research has demonstrated significant correlations between social and emotional learning and a positive school climate, as well as SEL and academic achievement. CPSEL is ready to collaborate with your organization, even virtually, to act on new insights in the field of SEL in regard to trauma-informed support during the time of COVID and improving district- or schoolwide cultural competence as our country combats racial strife by taking positive action. CPSEL provides evidence-based professional development, technical support for grant writing, consulting, coaching, and resources to educators and practitioners nationally, in formal and informal settings. Professional development can be customized to meet the specific needs of your organization. Consulting and coaching involve a comprehensive process of identifying an organization’s needs and then tailoring services and interventions that bring each organization closer to realizing their SEL-related goals and priorities. CPSEL will also be holding the National Social and Emotional Learning Conference, held May 17-19, 2021, with registration opening in the fall of 2020. LEARN MORE
The Center for Safe Schools and CPSEL offer the following related services available to fulfill your grant:
Professional Development and Training for Administrators, Teachers and Staff
- Act 44 Approved Physical and Behavioral School Safety Assessments and Training — partial assessments can be performed over the summer of 2020 with completion when students return to school sessions in the fall of 2020. Please reach out to the Center for Safe Schools if you are interested.
- COVID-19 strategies, preparation, and planning for a safe student return and educational experience
- All-Hazards Planning creation, review, and updating for school districts
- Trauma-informed practices in schools; Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)
- SEL foundational practices and improving school climate/culture
- SEL and trauma, as well as SEL and cultural competence, consulting, planning and training services
- Restorative practices
- Trauma-informed, social and emotional care for educators, staff, and providers
- Bullying Prevention, including the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
- Suicide Prevention (Lifelines)
- Cultivating Equity and SEL through an Equity Lens
- I Can Problem Solve and Raising a Thinking Child SEL programs
Consultation Services
- PCCD approved, comprehensive safety assessments exceeding PCCD requirements
- SEL and Academic/SEL Program selection support
- Program, system and tool development
- Data analysis and evaluation services
- Planning and implementation
- Team of experts from diverse content areas
- On-site or virtual consultation is available
We encourage grant applicants to apply funds in their proposed budget for school staff to attend the 2020 Safe Schools Conference the week of December 7, 2020. This high-quality professional development opportunity will be in a customized virtual format to provide unique opportunities for safety, cyber, violence prevention, anti-bullying, and a variety of school safety topics.
Contact Randall Fox, Center for Safe Schools director, 717-763-1661, ext. 105 or Carol Paxton, CPSEL director, 717-710-8696 to learn more about these or other services independent of your interest in the COVID-19 school grant.
Center for Schools and Communities is a division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit.