Green Hills AEA Awarded Over 1 Million Dollars in Federal Grants

Green Hills Area Education Agency received two Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence grants, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, that will allow them to greatly expand their supports and training in the areas of crisis planning and prevention and school violence.

The first grant of $669,000 will be used to collaborate with area school districts, fire departments, and sheriff’s offices to establish threat assessment teams and implement high-quality safety plans designed to prevent and mitigate emergencies and crises.

School personnel training and student education will also be provided on preventing student violence against others and themselves. Additionally, this project will include the promotion and use of anonymous tip lines as a way for students, parents, school staff, and the entire community to report behaviors confidentially and support teams in communicating and coordinating responses to these tips to quickly intervene.

The second grant of $500,000 will be used over three years to provide training and education to students and educators on preventing student violence, including anti-bullying and mental health crisis response training through the implementation of Rachel’s Challenge. This nationally recognized program exists to inspire students, educators, and parents to replace acts of violence, bullying, and negativity with acts of respect, kindness, and compassion. In partnering with Rachel’s Challenge, Green Hills AEA’s 43 school districts will each have the opportunity to engage and participate in ongoing student programs, professional learning for educators, and community awareness events at no cost.

Andrew Strait, a representative from Rachel’s Challenge spoke about the positive impact this will have in our community stating, “For over 20 years, Rachel’s Challenge has helped thousands of schools and leaders lay the groundwork for safer, more connected school culture. The partnership between Rachel’s Challenge and Green Hills Area Education Agency is a unique and dynamic collaboration that will positively impact schools across southwest Iowa, without expense to the schools or districts. In these times of new and challenging complexities, this joint effort comes at a critical point in which meeting the social and emotional needs of our students is of the highest importance.”

These grants will continue to increase public safety, as well as positively affect the climate in our schools and communities. For questions, please contact Dr. Jenny Barnett, Green Hills AEA Executive Director of Targeted Services and Supports at jbarnett@ghaea.org.