$25 Million in Grants to Gage Usefulness of School Safety Efforts

$25 Million in Grants to Gage Usefulness of School Safety Efforts 

A new grant program is seeking U.S. schools to receive access to programs to address school safety. The "Safer Schools in America Impact Grant" will make a total of $25 million worth of in-kind safety solutions from 16 companies available to recipients over three years. Those systems will be deployed no cost to the schools, and, in return, the schools will need to make data available for the purposes of research.

The project is an initiative of Global Grid for Learning and McREL International. Global Grid is a membership-based public benefit corporation that sets up public-private partnerships to help tackle "big school challenges," such as safety. McREL is a nonprofit research and development organization that turns its research into "practical, effective guidance and training for teachers and school leaders."

For this program, safety covers a lot of ground: emotional, physical and digital safety, emergency preparedness and culture and community engagement. Participating companies primarily produce programs to manage students during and after school, communicate with people, handle visitors, solicit for anonymous tips, filter web access and measure student well-being.

The current list encompasses:

Districts that are members of Global Grid can nominate up to three schools each to qualify for grants. That membership is free. Up to 100 schools will be selected for the initial phase of the grant, by Jan. 30, 2019; an additional 400 schools will be selected in later phases throughout the year.

The two organizations said they'll be capturing data from participating schools for research projects on how to foster safer school environments.

"Parents, students, teachers and administrators expect schools to be safe, secure, and supportive for teaching and learning, but little research has been done to date to measure the effectiveness of the solutions that we purchase to address safety and well-being," said Sandra Elliott, chief academic officer at Global Grid, in a statement.

McREL will be contributing "to building a better evidence base that helps educators and parents make informed decisions about which approaches will work best for their students and schools," added CEO Bryan Goodwin.

The application is available through the Global Grid website. Those districts that aren't Global Grid members will be sent a membership form in response to their application.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • students using digital devices, surrounded by abstract AI motifs and soft geometric design

    Ed Tech Startup Kira Launches AI-Native Learning Platform

    A new K-12 learning platform aims to bring personalized education to every student. Kira, one of the latest ed tech ventures from Andrew Ng, former director of Stanford's AI Lab and co-founder of Coursera and DeepLearning.AI, "integrates artificial intelligence directly into every educational workflow — from lesson planning and instruction to grading, intervention, and reporting," according to a news announcement.

  • toolbox featuring a circuit-like AI symbol and containing a screwdriver, wrench, and hammer

    Microsoft Launches AI Tools for Educators

    Microsoft has introduced a variety of AI tools aimed at helping educators develop personalized learning experiences for their students, create content more efficiently, and increase student engagement.

  • laptop displaying a red padlock icon sits on a wooden desk with a digital network interface background

    Reports Point to Domain Controllers as Prime Ransomware Targets

    A recent report from Microsoft reinforces warns of the critical role Active Directory (AD) domain controllers play in large-scale ransomware attacks, aligning with U.S. government advisories on the persistent threat of AD compromise.

  • Two hands shaking in the center with subtle technology icons, graphs, binary code, and a padlock in the dark blue background

    Two Areas for K-12 Schools to Assess for When to Work with a Managed Services Provider

    The complexity of today’s IT network infrastructure and increased cybersecurity risk are quickly moving beyond many school districts’ ability to manage on their own. But a new technology model, a partnership with a managed services provider, offers a way forward for schools to overcome these challenges.