Featured Grant Opportunity: NYSED Extended School Day/School Violence Prevention Program
The New York State Education Department has announced a new grant competition, the NYSED Extended School Day/School Violence Prevention Program. The program’s primary purpose is “to provide support to students through extended school day activities and/or school safety programs which promote violence prevention.”
Extended School Day (ESD) programs must serve students in grades PreK-12, and a total of at least 50 students must be served. ESD programming may take place before or after school, Saturdays, Sundays, and/or during the summer. ESD programs must operate at least 3 days per week for at least 2 hours per day. The RFP states ESD programs must, “Provide extracurricular enrichment activities including but not limited to athletics, academic enrichment, art, music, drama, academic tutoring, mentoring, community services and related programs that will increase student achievement and contribute to school violence prevention.”
The RFP indicates, “School safety activities include goods and services to provide safe corridors, diversity programs, collaboration with law enforcement agencies or community-based organizations, metal detectors, intercom systems and other intra-school communication devices, devices to increase the security and safety of program personnel and students. School safety activities may also include comprehensive school-based intervention models that reduce violence and improve school safety.”
Additional Details:
- Applications are due January 8th, 2016.
- Public school districts and not-for-profit organizations working in collaboration with a public school district(s) are eligible to apply.
- Maximum annual request is $350,000.00 per year. There is a per-student cap on Extended School Day activities that could reduce the individual applicant’s maximum request amount. There is no per-student cap on violence prevention activities.
- The grant period is 5 years – from July 1st, 2016 to June 30th, 2021.
- A total of $24.3 Million is available per year.
- Funds will be allocated to geographic areas across NYS at: 55% to NYC, 15% to Buffalo/Rochester/Syracuse/Yonkers, and 30% to the rest of the state.
- Applications must be submitted electronically through the new FluidReview portal at https://nysed-esdsvp.fluidreview.com/and hardcopies must also be submitted.
For complete details and grant documents visit the NYSED Extended School Day/School Violence Prevention Program page.
Grant Opportunity: Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI)
By Jen Adams
Who is offering this grant? US National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
What is the purpose? The goal of NIJ’s Comprehensive School Safety Initiative (CSSI) is to improve school safety by providing communities with best practices for programs and policies based on rigorous scientific research, testing and evaluation. The initiative is carried out through partnerships between researchers, educators and other stakeholders, including law enforcement and mental health professionals. Projects funded under the CSSI are designed to produce knowledge that can be applied to schools and school districts across the nation for years to come.
What types of activities might be supported? The Initiative has three broad components, each designed to produce evidence about what works and to identify best practices: 1) Understand school safety issues, existing models and data; 2) Sponsor independent and innovative research; 3) Test the effects of interventions via pilot projects. Within the program parameters and in furtherance of the goals above, applicants have considerable discretion in determining the kinds of school safety initiatives they propose to address. There are four funding categories:
Category 1: Developing Knowledge About What Works to Make Schools Safe
Category 2: Causes and Consequences of School Violence
Category 3: Shorter Term Studies on School Safety
Category 4: Developing and Evaluating a Comprehensive School Safety Framework
Applicants are encouraged to review previously funded projects at http://nij.gov/topics/crime/school-crime/documents/comprehensive-school-safety-initiative-awards-fy-2014.pdf. A sample of funded activities include: School resource officer training. • Mental health and trauma-informed response. • Improved disciplinary policies. • Restorative justice. • Threat assessment using social media. • Positive behavioral interventions and supports. • Bullying prevention. • Wraparound services/comprehensive approaches. • Protecting students as they walk to and from school.
Who can apply? States, units of local government (including federally recognized Indian tribal governments), nonprofit and for-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and certain qualified individuals. Local education agencies (LEAs), public charter schools that are recognized as an LEA, and State education agencies (SEAs) also are eligible to apply.
When is the application due? June 12, 2015.
How much can I request? For Category 1: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $40 million will become available. NIJ anticipates awards will be made in amounts ranging from $1 million to $5 million. For Category 2: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $6 million will become available and awards will be made in amounts up to $2 million. For Category 3: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $4 million will become available. NIJ anticipates awards will be made in amounts ranging from $200,000 to $1 million. For Category 4: NIJ estimates that a total of up to $15 million will become available. NIJ anticipates that it will make two to three awards in amounts up to $7.5 million.
Do I have to offer a match of any kind? This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory.
How long is the project period? Project periods range according to category. Category 1 anticipates project periods from 24-48 months; Category 2 ranges from 12-24 months; Category 3 ranges from 12-24 months; and Category 4 ranges from 48-60 months.
Is there anything else I should know? Every award made under CSSI must include a carefully developed research strategy with clear potential for producing findings that have practical benefits for schools, students and communities at large. NIJ expects applications for CSSI to prominently feature close collaboration and partnerships involving schools, researchers, and others as necessary (e.g., law enforcement behavioral and mental health professionals, courts, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, parents, students) to implement and study the proposed issues and activities related to school and student safety.
NIJ expects that it will make any awards from funding Categories 1, 2, and 3 in the form of a grant. However, NIJ reserves the authority to make selected awards from Categories 1, 2, or 3 as cooperative agreements on a case-by-case basis, where NIJ determines that a cooperative agreement relationship is more appropriate for the implementation of the funded project. NIJ expects that it will make any award from Category 4 in the form of a cooperative agreement, which is a particular type of grant used if NIJ expects to have ongoing substantial involvement in award activities.
How can I find out more? Visit NIJ at: http://nij.gov/topics/crime/school-crime/Pages/school-safety-initiative.aspx. The RFP is available here: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/sl001161.pdf. An informational webinar about this grant initiative was held on April 16 from 3-4pm. The webinar and frequently asked questions will be available on the website as a resource for applicants.
Highmark Foundation Creating a Healthy School Environment Grants are Now Open! (PA and WV)
The Highmark Foundation is currently offering Creating a Healthy School Environment grants to schools in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Applicants may be public or private schools located within the Highmark service area, which includes 49 Pennsylvania Counties and all 55 West Virginia Counties.*
Applicants must select 1 of the 4 priority areas on which to focus their projects: (1) Bullying Prevention, (2) Child Injury Prevention, (3) Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, and (4) Physical and Environmental Health. Projects must be based on and inclusive of evidence-based programs. The RFP provides a list of suggested evidence-based programs and resources for each priority area, as well as checklists to support baseline and progress data collection and project evaluation. The specifically suggested evidenced-based programs and resources are not required for the Child Injury Prevention, Healthy Eating and Physical Activity, and Physical and Environmental Health priority areas–other evidenced-based options may be proposed. Applicants applying for funds through Bullying Prevention, however, MUST select from the list of programs and resources provided.
Eligible applicants and allowable award sizes for 2015 are described in the RFP as follows:
PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOLS
1. PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS (Individual school buildings are not eligible to apply.)
a. Grants up to $10,000 will be awarded to 15 school districts implementing programs that improve access to quality school-based health and wellness programs. We are interested in public schools applying as districts for implementing programs.
b. If awarded, school districts should identify and select schools within their district to receive funding.
2. PRIVATE, CHARTER, VOCATIONAL AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (Grades K-12)
c. Mini-grants up to $5,000 will be awarded to 20 non-public school buildings.
d. Private, parochial and charter schools may only apply for the $5,000 mini-grants.
WEST VIRGINIA SCHOOLS 1. PUBLIC, PRIVATE, CHARTER VOCATIONAL AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (Grades K-12)
a. $5,000 mini-grants will be awarded to 15 schools.
b. West Virginia schools may only apply for the $5,000 mini-grants.
Potential applicants should note the funder indicates, “Grants will not be awarded exclusively for equipment such as treadmills, bikes, etc. Equipment will only be considered if necessary for the implementation of an evidence-based physical activity program such as SPARK.”
All applicants must apply online by the May 8, 2015.
*Highmark service area:
Western Pennsylvania Counties served: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Westmoreland and Washington
Central Pennsylvania Counties served: Adams, Berks, Centre, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Mifflin, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Union and York
West Virginia: All counties in West Virginia are eligible to apply.
Good Luck! :o)
ED Press Release: U.S. Department of Education Announces Awards of Over $70 Million to Improve School Climate and Keep Students Safe
The U.S. Department of Education has announced funding awards through four new grant programs designed to help keep students safe and improve learning environments. These programs are School Climate Transformation grants to school districts, School Climate Transformation grants to states, Project Prevent grants to school districts, and School Emergency Management grants to states. To see the list of winners for each program as well as detailed information on the program initiatives view the US ED press release.
The Insight Team would like to congratulate two of our clients who were fortunate to be awarded funding in these important new programs. Cleveland Hill Union Free School District, NY, was awarded a 2014 School Climate Transformation Grant for LEAs. Cleveland Hill’s Year 1 award amount is $222,037, and the five-year award is anticipated to be $1,095,493. New London Public Schools, CT, was awarded a 2014 Project Prevent Grant. New London’s Year 1 award amount is $616,131, and the total five-year award anticipated to be between $2.5 and $2.9 million.
Featured Grant Opportunity: School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court
The Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention is offering a federal grant opportunity, titled School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court. The OJDDP is partnering with the Department of Education and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for this program.
The goal of the program is to enhance collaboration and coordination among schools, mental and behavioral health specialists, law enforcement, and juvenile justice officials at the local level to ensure adults have the support, training, and a shared framework to help students succeed in school and prevent negative outcomes for youth and communities.
Further Information on eligibility from grants.gov:
This initiative includes two categories, and the eligibility differs for each:
• Category 1: Local School Justice Collaboration Program. Applicants are limited to local juvenile and family courts (including rural and tribal juvenile and family courts) that can verify that they have a partnership—with a local education agency (LEA) that has applied to the Department of Education’s School Climate Transformation Grants-LEA (SCTG) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Now Is the Time Project AWARE–LEA programs. Additionally, applicants must partner with local law enforcement (via subgrants) as part of their collaborative effort. To meet these eligibility criteria, applicants must provide a letter of commitment or agreement, as described in the RFP, and the Grants.gov tracking numbers for the SCTG and Project AWARE grant programs applications. Awards under this category may be made only to juvenile and family courts in communities that have been awarded Department of Education School Climate Transformation Grants. A factor that will be considered in selection is whether an application also provides a plan to collaborate with the LEA on SAMHSA’s Now Is The Time Project AWARE-LEA program.
• Category 2: School Justice Collaboration Program National Training and Technical Assistance. Applicants are limited to nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations) and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee.
When is the Deadline? July 21st, 2014.
Where Can I Get More Information? Visit the grant program page at grants.gov
Why Isn’t Your District Applying for School Climate Transformation Grants for LEAs in 2014?
On 5/13/2014, we published a blog post about one of the US Department of Education’s new school safety grants: School Climate Transformation Grants for LEAs. Applicants can request up to $750,000 per year for up to five years for projects that, “develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing an evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral framework for improving behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students.” This is a terrific opportunity for Local Educational Agencies such as school districts, charter schools, and consortia of LEAs to obtain funding for programs and resources that support positive student behaviors, social and emotional development, and mental health for students!
If these are areas of need in your schools, here are the top 6 reasons you should apply to this program in 2014 rather than a future year:
- Student needs won’t be resolved without intervention! Every student deserves a safe, comfortable, equitable learning environment that is supportive of his/her success. Apply in 2014 because your students shouldn’t have to wait any longer for an improved school climate–and can’t afford to.
- Approximately 118 awards are expected in 2014! While 5-10 years ago it might not have been terribly uncommon to see a grant program make 100-200 awards, those days are pretty much gone. In recent years, programs making 50-80 awards are thought to be making a lot of awards since most programs make under 50 awards in a given year, and many make far under 50. Apply in 2014 because based on the anticipated number of awards alone, your odds of winning will be significantly better than for most current grant programs.
- If this grant is offered again next year, more likely than not ED will only be able to make about half as many awards (or fewer) unless substantially more funding is allocated. In other future years, the number of new awards may be even smaller. Since this is a five-year grant program, this year–the very first year of the program–is likely to be the year we see the most new grants funded for several years since ED will have to use a portion of the funds allocated each future year to fund the continuation awards in addition to any new awards. In some future years, ED will be funding multiple years of continuation awards. For example, in 2018, ED will be funding awardees in Year 2 (2017 winners), Year 3 (2016 winners), Year 4 (2015 winners), and Year 5 (2016 winners). Continuation awards are typically committed before any new awards are made, as is fair. Whatever money remains in the allocation is available for new awards. In some future years, there may only be enough remaining for a small number of new awards or none at all. Apply in 2014 because it is likely fewer new awards (if any) will be available each future year, as the program will be supporting significant numbers of continuation awards.
- Applications are due 6/23/2014! While that’s less than a month away, if you begin working this week and work very diligently until the deadline, you still have time to put together a strong application. This is especially true if you recently applied for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grants due 4/28/2014 or a similarly-focused funding stream, since much of the need information is likely to be the same. You may be shying away from this application based on the fact that it’s due right as school is wrapping up for some districts and after school has closed for the summer for others. Here’s the thing: many schools are thinking that way, and June and July deadlines for US ED grants sometimes have few applicants for that reason! Apply in 2014 to seize the opportunity to be one of what is likely to be a relatively small pool (comparatively) of brave applicants who apply for a grant at the start of or during their summer breaks and capitalize on increased odds of winning as a result!
- This program is new this year! As programs age, they tend to evolve. While that is usually in many ways a really good thing, from an applicant/awardee standpoint, it often also means more rules and requirements during both the application and award periods. Apply in 2014 to take advantage of what are likely to be the least demanding application and award period reporting requirements!
- You can be one of the first! If you have an interest in serving as a leader for other schools in your county, region, state, or the nation, this grant offers you a great opportunity to do that in the area of behavioral health–one of the areas for which until now schools haven’t received much funding at all in recent years despite great need. Due to support by both the President and Congress, that’s about to change. 2014 will be the first year of award for this program, as well as for Project Aware (due 6/16/2014), Project Prevent (due 6/30/2014), and School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court (due 7/21/2014). Apply in 2014 to this and/or any of the three other new school safety grants to be leader and a model for other schools in improving student behavior and mental health to improve student safety and achievement!
