U.S. DOE Opens Applications for $6 Million Project Prevent Grant Program Grant to Support School Safety

The U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE or Department) has posted a Notice Inviting Applications for the Project Prevent Grant Program, which will award more than $6 million to local educational agencies (LEAs) – this includes Maine school administrative units (SAUs) – impacted by community violence. As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader commitment to school safety and addressing youth mental health the Department will provide schools the necessary resources to combat community violence and ensure a safe learning environment for students, families, and educators. Following the signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the Department will be announcing additional resources for schools in the weeks ahead.

Project Prevent grants will expand the capacity of LEAs to implement community- and school-based strategies to help prevent community violence and mitigate the impacts of exposure to community violence. With these funds, LEAs can increase their capacity to identify, assess, and serve students exposed to community violence, helping LEAs to (1) increase student access to mental health services; (2) support conflict management programs; and (3) implement other community- and school-based strategies to help prevent community violence and to mitigate the impacts of exposure to community violence. As the Department works to address opportunity and achievement gaps, Project Prevent will deliver more resources for communities in need.

“When our students are exposed to community violence and experience trauma, their learning, their mental health, and their overall wellbeing are affected. We must do everything in our power to prevent and address community violence and wrap our children in the supports and services that can help them overcome any barriers to their success,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The availability of these new federal dollars will be transformative for our children and our communities. Together, we can give every student—especially students who need the greatest supports—what they need to learn, grow, heal, and thrive.”

Research has demonstrated that community violence is a risk factor for facing an adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, or having a family member who is incarcerated, and has an impact on future violence and victimization in a community. ACEs can increase risk among children and youth to experience depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic disorders; have difficulty in, or disconnect from, school and the workforce; and engage in delinquency or violent acts, potentially perpetuating the conditions that contribute to a cycle of community violence.

Community violence is a significant public health, public safety, and community infrastructure concern nationwide and is a leading cause of death, injury, and intergenerational trauma for people in the United States. Community violence imposes enormous human, social, and economic costs, including disruption to employment and hindering a community’s social and economic development.

The FY22 Project Prevent Grant Program has a focus on partnerships with community-based organizations to mitigate the impact of community violence on students and families implementing community and school-based strategies. Local educational agencies, or consortia of local educational agencies are eligible to apply for these grants. The Department is especially interested in programs that support children and youth from low-income backgrounds. With the right investments and supports, the impact of these experiences can be mitigated in ways that help our children and youth thrive.

The Notice Inviting Applications is available here. For further information/questions contact ProjectPrevent@ed.gov.

Funding to Promote School Nursing Workforce Development in Maine

The increased workload for school nurses due to the COVID-19 pandemic has put an immeasurable strain on our workforce over the past two years. The Maine Department of Education (DOE) will spend the next year providing opportunities to the current workforce of school nurses to build upon their expertise and to promote evidence-based practice in all Maine schools.

As part of funding from the U.S. CDC for COVID-19 Emergency Response, Public Health Crisis Response, Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was awarded $8,861,778 for a two-year period, starting July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023. This grant requires at least 25% of the award to support school-based health programs, including nurses or other personnel. Maine DHHS in partnership with Maine DOE has partnered to provide opportunities to promote continued development of the current school nurse workforce. Emphasis on school nursing workforce development strengthens quality of health services within schools. This, in turn, allows for improved equity in care, and further supports the CDC Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, allowing students to reach their highest health potential.

The Maine DOE’s school health workforce development efforts began with securing four School Nurse Regional Liaisons working within the Coordinated School Health Team of the Office of School and Student Supports. They will be ensuring that school nurses across the state have equal access to the opportunities for development. The following opportunities will be rolled out in the next school year. To ensure all school nurses receive communications, please be sure that staff information is updated in Neo. The following activities from the Maine DOE will be forthcoming.

With the goal of increasing the number of nationally certified school nurses in Maine (up to 50), the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school nurses for the exam fee and review course, if needed. In addition, a facilitated study group will be created and available to those approved to participate. Once the application form is created, communications will be sent to school nurses through the DOE Maine School Nurse announcement listserv.
With the goal of increasing the number of school nurses seeking advanced degrees (up to 25), the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school nurses to enroll in graduate-level courses (increasing the number of nurses with advanced degrees), to be paid as tuition reimbursement to the individual with successful completion of a graduate-level nursing, public health, or education-focused course. Once the application form is created, communications will be sent to school nurses through the DOE Maine School Nurse announcement listserv.
With the goal of increasing the number of school nurses who hold certification in Pediatric Emergency Assessment, Recognition, and Stabilization (PEARS) the Maine DOE will provide an in-person course for school nurses in at least four locations across the State of Maine at no cost (up to 100 school nurses). Once the dates are secured, qualified school nurses may register through the DOE Professional Development

To be eligible for these opportunities, school nurses must meet the eligibility requirements for each individual activity, be employed full-time in a Maine school for at least one year and hold a current 524 professional endorsement from the Maine Department of Education.

For more information contact DOESchoolandStudentSupports@Maine.gov.

WEBINAR: The Role of School Administrators in Supporting School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Friday, August 26, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of school administrators in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan (EOP) development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that school administrators — including principals, vice principals, and other school leaders — play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after a potential emergency.
Share resources to strengthen efforts around overall plan development.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters:

Ocali Charter High School – Elizabeth Brown, Principal
Hudson City School District – Michael Sedlak, Unit Principal
REMS TA Center – Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Can’t make the live event? This Webinar will be archived on the REMS TA Center Website within 7 business days.

WEBINAR: The Role of School Mental Health Professionals in Supporting School Safety Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools and its Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center will host a Webinar on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET. This Webinar will highlight the role of mental health professionals in supporting school safety efforts at the local level.

The objectives of this 60-minute Webinar are to

Demonstrate the importance of developing a collaborative planning team to support emergency operations plan development, as outlined in Step 1 of the six-step planning process detailed in the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
Discuss the role that school mental health professionals — including mental health coordinators, counselors, and others — play in implementing the National Preparedness System mission areas before, during, and after a potential emergency.
Share resources to strengthen mental health professionals’ efforts around climate assessment, behavioral threat assessment, continuity of teaching and learning, and overall plan development.

Register on the REMS TA Center Website to participate in the Webinar!

Presenters:

Mobile County Public Schools

Denise Riemer, LCSW, Mental Health Services Coordinator

REMS TA Center

Janelle Hughes, Project Director

Questions About the Event?

Contact the REMS TA Center Help Desk at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] or info@remstacenter.org from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

Maine School Nurse Summer Institute Brings Together 150 School Nurses from Across Maine

Nearly 150 school nurses from across Maine gathered this week in Belfast for the Maine School Nurse Summer Institute. This was the first in person Summer Institute in four years and allowed school nurses to come together to build community and connection, participate in professional learning opportunities, identify strategies to care for themselves in the same way they care for so many others, and share challenges and opportunities for themselves and the school nursing field following several years on the frontlines of combating COVID and keeping their schools safe.

Nurses at the Summer Institute were guided by Florence Nightingale’s words to “let us never consider ourselves finished nurses; we must be learning all of our lives.”

Maine Education Commissioner delivered a keynote address during the Summer Institute and told the school nurses in attendance: “You take care of everyone else…please take care of yourselves.”

“I am in awe of the work you have done. You are singlehandedly running an ER in your schools and facing a revolving door of kids who need you and search your face for assurance that everything will be alright,” said Makin. “The work you do in general is so huge, and during COVID-19 it was over the top. It is so appreciated.”

Makin honored the work done by school nurses during the pandemic and talked about the toll it takes on people to be in that constant state of being on alert and dealing with trauma. She urged the nurses to pay close attention to their wellbeing.

Maine Department of Health and Human Services Chief Child Health Officer Amy Belisle also spoke, detailing the many heroic efforts of school nurses during the pandemic to keep students safe and schools safe and open.

Nearly 9 million items of PPE were delivered to schools between July of 2020 and December of 2021, with school nurses at the center of managing those incoming deliveries, teaching staff and students on using PPE, developing usage policies, and troubleshooting. There were 242,000 COVID-19 antigen tests provided to schools since 2020, 1 million at home test kids provided to schools for student, staff, and family use, and school nurses helped facilitate more than 150,000 polled tests during the pandemic. And school nurses managed implementing the frequent updates and shifts of the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for schools.

School nurses also participated in the school health advisory group, that started out meeting weekly in the summer of 2020 to meet with state health and education leaders on COVID-19 mitigation strategies, and nurses who were part of the state’s School Public Health Response Team responded to 3,700 calls and 12,000 emails related to COVID-19, handled 34,000 cases, and ran 540 vaccine clinics.

Nurses had an opportunity to process and discuss the stress and strain caused by the pandemic, strategies to address their wellbeing, and how to move forward in this new phase of the pandemic. The Summer Institute featured a wide variety of workshops and professional learning opportunities around adjusting to the wake of the pandemic, social emotional learning, interprofessional collaboration & nursing, the school nurse role in a crisis, and children’s health related topics including handling common school injuries, managing diabetes, seizures, and oral health.

Brad Hurtig delivered a keynote address, sharing with the audience his personal story of courage and resilience after losing both hands as a teenager after an accident involving a 500 ton power press.

“We all face challenges,” said Hurtig. “How you handle adversity will define your life and being able to handle it will set you apart.”

Hurtig shared feeling like everything had been taken away from him in those first few months after his accident and how he was laying on the couch thinking “why me?”. But step by step he found a way forward, often through the help of his football coach. He was able to return to the football field and went on to be first team all-state his senior year. And his prosthetics enabled him to do things with hands once again.

“When you want something, lean in and relentlessly go after it. Find a way,” Hurtig said, sharing the message he delivers at schools across the country. “If you are willing to have the right mindset, to adapt, to have perseverance, then you will find a way.”

Hurtig connected his experience to what school nurses have faced over the past few years and their power to help students find a way.

“You’ve had a rough few years and you know all about how to adapt and do things differently,” said Hurtig. “There is no better reward than helping another human being. I know your moments with students can be brief but find ways to show that they matter and that their life counts. It goes a long way for a struggling child.”

Media Release: Maine School Safety Summit Brings Together More than 300 Educators, School Leaders, and Law Enforcement Personnel to Collaborate on School Safety Issues

The Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center held its annual Maine School Safety Summit this week at Windham High School, with a focus on how educators, school leaders, law enforcement, and communities can increase collaboration and communication around school safety strategies. The three-day summit attracted more than 300 participants from across the state with roles ranging from school principals, social workers, and nurses to school resource officers, first responders, and emergency preparedness professionals.

Nearly 50 workshops were offered on a wide range of school safety topics, including trauma awareness; supporting the safety and well-being of young people; brain science; restorative practices; social media use; emergency operations planning; food security linked to school security; behavioral threat assessment; bus safety; and more. Staff from the Maine Department of Education’s Office of School and Student Supports and Office of School Facilities and Transportation also helped lead several workshops.

The Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) was created two years ago, and codified into law this year, with the mission of developing a safe school infrastructure that will deliver high quality, up-to-date best practices, procedures, training, and technical assistance and support to Maine schools. MSSC offers school supports and services on school emergency management, threat assessment and mental health, restorative practices, training, and school safety and security. MSSC has provided hundreds of trainings, courses, and professional learning experiences to support school staff and school leaders throughout Maine.

MSSC’s approach to school safety is comprehensive and is guided by the beliefs that supporting the well-being of students and a healthy school environment is essential to the reduction of behaviors that threaten the safety of the school community; everyone who comes in contact with students and a school system has a responsibility to help create and sustain a healthy school environment and ensure a student’s well-being; the school environment, culture, approaches to discipline, and interface with the community are crucial to the well-being of all students, and particularly to those students who are alienated from the school program and those with behavioral and/or mental health issues; and schools and communities need to collaborate to create a systematic approach to school safety.

“This summit was planned long before the tragedy in a Texas elementary school last month, but that event, and so many others, certainly underscore the fact that school safety and security, emergency prevention, and emergency response preparedness remain top concerns for students, staff, families, and communities nationwide and here in Maine,” said Education Commissioner Pender Makin in her keynote address. “This three-day event offers a wide variety of professional learning opportunities and technical assistance to help schools and their community partners enhance all aspects of school safety, ranging from culture and climate to hazard planning to crisis response and recovery planning. What is clear throughout all of the sessions, and reinforced by who is here attending the summit, is the overarching message that partnerships, relationships, communication, and collaboration are the keys to this work.”

“We all know that when we put our minds and our hearts together, we can be brilliant. Throughout the last 27 months, we have all worked together to stay safe, to keep our schools open and to make sure that we took care of our students and each other–both professionally and personally,” said Eileen King, Executive Director of the Maine School Superintendents Association. “Keeping our students and staff safe is the priority, change is the reality, and collaboration must be the strategy.”

“School boards across the state engage in and support sound school safety practices for students and staff,” said Steve Bailey, Executive Director of the Maine School Board Association. “Through the leadership of the DOE’s Maine School Safety Center, and the collaboration with other partner agencies and associations, this identified effort to expand and promote safety practices and important inter-agency relationships will be an important next step to helping keep our schools safe, while also knowing what to do and who to turn to should additional resources be needed.”

“Safety is a top priority for students and for school staff, and with safety encompassing so many things, physical and emotional/mental health, security, cyber, food security, and more, we need to do what we can to work collaboratively to address these issues and provide the public education our students deserve,” said Grace Leavitt, President of the Maine Education Association.

“It’s imperative that law enforcement and educators have an open line of communication and a collaborative working relationship,” said Chief Kevin Schofield, Maine Chiefs of Police, Windham Police Department. “It’s incumbent upon all of us to take this issue seriously and work together to make sure our students and schools are as safe as possible.”

The Maine School Safety Summit was sponsored by the Maine Department of Education, Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, Maine School Superintendents Association, Maine Chiefs of Police Association, Maine Sheriff’s Association, Maine Principals Association, Maine Department of Corrections, Maine School Resource Officers Association, Strategies for Youth, and Maine School Board Association.

Register Today for the Maine School Safety Summit June 21-23

Please join the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine School Safety Center for the first annual Maine School Safety Summit. Along with state-level partners from across Maine, the Maine School Safety Center and Maine Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG) are proud to invite you to this high level, diverse training opportunity catered specifically for school and district administrators, school resources officers, juvenile community corrections officers, and law enforcement that work directly with schools, in addition to school support staff such as school counselors, social workers, school nurses, and emergency planning and facilities school/district staff members.

LOCATION
Windham High School
406 Gray Road Windham, ME

DATE & TIME
June 21-23, 2022
9:00 AM – 3:00 PMHighlights include:

Day one and two there will be a two-day course specifically designed for school/district administrators such as principals and superintendents as well as law enforcement administrators on how to work best together as a team for more effective interactions with youth. This specialized training presented by Strategies for Youth will be the first of its kind here in Maine.

Simultaneously, on days one and two, over 16 different presentations will be available for assistant principals, social workers, school counselors, facilities directors, school safety personnel, SROs, JCCOs, law enforcement who respond to schools, school office staff, educational technicians, and any other school staff who work to make their schools a safer place.

Day three will have two tracks. Track one will provide a special session for Transportation Directors and Bus inspectors. Track two will bring all other attendees together to discuss an exciting new way of dealing with youth in crisis entitled, Juvenile Justice Jeopardy, and in the afternoon will be a session entitled Communication in a Diverse World.

Our goal is to create safer schools by offering wraparound total services for Maine students.

Learn more and register here

For further questions, contact Wendy Robichaud, School Safety Training Coordinator, Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) at wendy.robichaud@maine.gov.

2021-2022 School Health Annual Reporting Window is Open

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is announcing that the School Health Annual Report is now available through the Reporting Calendar. The reporting link is available through the DC&R Calendar and the superintendent will determine who will compile and submit the data from all schools within the SAU. The data does not need to be submitted by your health staff; it can be entered by whomever the Superintendent determines is appropriate. Please remember that these reports once submitted, are manually verified so it may take several weeks for your report to show up in DC&R as completed. This report is due by July 30, 2022.

You may download the reporting worksheet in order to aid data collection among your schools.

Now more than ever, being able to quantify the workload of your school health staff is of utmost importance as we continue in this unprecedented time. Advocating for the multiple needs of your students helps to inform evidence-based school nursing practice and improve overall youth health outcomes. Healthy students are better learners. If you have questions about the School Health Annual Report, please contact the MDOE School Nurse Consultant, Emily.Poland@Maine.gov.

2022 Annual School Health Survey: https://mainedoe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8DhfRs2YjzA86I6

Maine Nurses Attend New England School Nurse Conference

Over 25 Maine nurses (not all are pictured here) joined school nurses from across New England for their first in-person professional development event in two years.

The New England School Nurse Conference is an annual event, hosted by one of six New England School Nurse Associations (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont).

Hosted by New Hampshire School Nurse Association, the conference was held in Portsmouth, NH with a theme of, “Schools Nurses: The Link to Student Success.”

For more information about the New England School Nurses Association visit: https://nesnconference.nursingnetwork.com/

Virtual Training: Emergency Evacuations- Planning for the Whole School Community

The following opportunity is being provided by the Maine Department of Education’s Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) through the REMS TA Center, a partner of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools.

Emergency Evacuations: Planning for the Whole School Community – Learn how schools and school districts can better prepare for an evacuation after an emergency. During this training session, an overview is provided on issues related to identifying on- and off-site assembly areas, transportation considerations, such as the use of mutual aid agreements, meeting the needs of students with disabilities or access and functional needs, and shared lessons at the local.

Tuesday May 17th

10:30-1:00