Sandy Hook Promise, District 308 Team Up To Help Prevent Violence

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — In an effort to protect the more than 9,000 students in the Oswego Community Unit School District 308 from violence, Sandy Hook Promise is partnering with the district through the STOP School Violence Act. According to a release, the organization will train students, educators and administrators in its Know the Signs programs, teaching them how to prevent violence before it starts.

Through the organization's Safety Assessment and Intervention and Know the Signs programs, thousands of students will be trained in 10 schools across the district on how to identify, assess, intervene and get help for those exhibiting at-risk behaviors, a release said.

The Co-Founder and Managing Director of Sandy Hook Promise is Mark Barden, who is the father of Daniel, one of the children killed in the Dec. 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. It's also led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the mass shooting.

“We are proud to work with the School District 308 to help keep its students safe by training them how to spot and report at-risk behaviors before violence occurs, as well as how to create an inclusive and connected community. We know we can prevent violence through proven programs like our Know the Signs programs, and I am proud that we are able to train and protect the students of SD 308,” Barden said, in a release.

According to the organization, School District 308 will receive the following programs under Sandy Hook Promise’s Know the Signs programs:

• Say Something: Training for youth and teens on how to recognize signs, especially in social media, of an individual who may be a threat to themselves or others and how to say something to a trusted adult to get that person help.
• Start With Hello: Training for youth and teens on how to be more socially inclusive and connected to one another.
• SOS Signs of Suicide: Training for students and adults about the warning signs of youth suicide and how to intervene before violence or self-harm occurs.
• Safety Assessment and Intervention: Training for schools on how to identify, assess, and respond to threatening behaviors before they escalate to violence.

According to a release, the STOP Violence Act was passed into law in March 2018 as part of the FY2018 omnibus funding bill, and Sandy Hook Promise worked with Republicans and Democrats to write and pass the legislation.

More than 3.5 million youth and adults across the U.S. have been trained by Sandy Hook Promise in at least one of its Know the Signs Programs, and have helped avert several shooting plans, teen suicides and other acts of violence or self-harm.

“With so many reactive methods being discussed in regard to school safety, we are happy to work closely with Sandy Hook Promise through the STOP School Violence Act to teach our students and educators proven prevention methods that will help keep our schools safe,” said Dr. John Sparlin, SD 308 superintendent of schools, in a release.

For more information visit sandyhookpromise.org or call 203-304-9780

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