The Biden administration has tapped the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Education (ED), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Justice (DOJ) to launch a public awareness campaign to highlight Federal school safety resources and evidence-based practices available through SchoolSafety.gov.
“Government has few responsibilities more important than ensuring the safety of our communities – especially our children. To protect our children and educators, we must ensure the schools they attend and work in are safe and secure,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
“The Department of Homeland Security and our partners in the Biden-Harris Administration are working together to make sure every child and educator enjoys the safe and secure environment they deserve, whether it is by making available safety resources to every school through SchoolSafety.gov, cutting through red tape to help schools access critical security funding, or supporting local law enforcement agencies across the country,” the DHS chief said.
Through the campaign, the Biden administration said it will educate school administrators and personnel, teachers, parents and guardians, and state and local government officials about school safety resources available at SchoolSafety.gov.
As part of the campaign, the Biden administration said 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 easily share information about the campaign with others in their community. Additionally, the campaign will feature an informational webinar showcasing Federal training and technical assistance centers focused on issues related to school safety, school climate, and mental health supports. Campaign information and materials will be accessible through a dedicated hub on SchoolSafety.gov.
“We must do everything we can to keep our schools and kids safe. SchoolSafety.gov is a tremendous resource that education and community members can use to support safe positive environments for all students and educators,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “We are honored to partner with the Departments of Education, Justice, and Homeland Security to raise awareness of this terrific resource.”
SchoolSafety.gov is the public website of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, an ongoing and collaborative effort among ED, DHS, DOJ, and HHS to enhance school safety through a whole-of-government approach. The website provides resources that can be used to inform and support school safety plans, programs, and initiatives within individualized and unique school settings. These resources address a range of issues, including information on bullying prevention, student mental health support and services, school climate, emergency planning, and preventing acts of targeted and community violence.
The Biden administration also noted that SchoolSafety.gov provides several tools to help schools find specific resources and create and implement comprehensive and holistic safety programs, including a feature that makes it easier to locate and identify available Federal school safety funding opportunities and grant programs.
