Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office Awards Over $400,000 In School Safety Grants

- June 20, 2008

BOSTON – In an effort to assist schools and communities in their comprehensive violence prevention efforts, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has awarded over $400,000 in grant funding through the Improving School Climate initiative to qualified community organizations and partnering schools throughout the Commonwealth. The funds can be used for education, outreach and peer mediation programs that are research-based and support and improve school climate.    

“School and community safety is one of the most important priorities for residents of the Commonwealth,” said Attorney General Coakley. “Creating a positive school climate--one in which all students, parents, faculty, and staff feel safe, valued and accepted--is instrumental in reducing acts of violence and supporting educational excellence. These grants offer the opportunity for schools and communities to support research-based programming that add to their violence prevention efforts.”

For over 20 years, through programs such as the Safe Schools Initiative (SSI), Student Conflict Resolution Expert (SCORE) and the Safe Neighborhood Initiative (SNI), the Attorney General’s Office has provided grant funding and technical assistance to schools and communities throughout the Commonwealth to create resources and assist in their violence prevention efforts.

Qualified grant applicants for the Improving School Climate initiative demonstrated community need and created an intervention plan responsive to that community’s need. Grant recipients also provided a strong, creative and collaborative violence prevention plan that included conflict resolution programs, efforts to address school policies, bullying prevention, and school/community-wide education. The total amount of grant funding offered through the Improving School Climate initiative is $412,302.83. The following charitable organizations, partnering schools and their communities have been awarded grant funding:

· Lowell -- Alternative House; An Wang Middle School

· Jamaica Plain -- Brookline Community Health/Metro Med; English High School

· Boston -- Brookline Community Health/Metro Med; Madison Park

· Brighton -- Brookline Community Health/Metro Med; Brighton High

· Taunton -- Community Care Services; Taunton High School

· Fitchburg -- LUK Crisis Center; Monty Tech

· North Adams -- Mediation & Training Collaborative; Drury High School

· Peabody -- North Shore Mediation; Higgins Middle School

· Athol -- Quabbin Mediation; Royalston High, Royalston Middle School

· Orange -- Quabbin Mediation; Mahar High School, Mahar Middle School

· Somerville -- Somerville Mediation; Somerville High School

· Randolph -- South Shore Day Care Services; Randolph Community Middle School

The deadline for grant applications was May 15, 2008. Portions of the grants will be distributed to each grantee starting in early July 2008. For further information on the Improving School Climate grants or other grant opportunities offered through the Attorney General’s Office, please visit the Attorney General’s website at www.mass.gov/ago/grants.