Keep Our Children Safe: Strategies for Schools and Communities

2003 Safe Schools Conference
March 31 - April 2, 2003
Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

   Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education in partnership with the Center for Safe Schools

   Co-sponsors: Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Pennsylvania State Police

   A timely conference with a broad array of learning opportunities, Keeping Our Children Safe: Strategies for Schools and Communities, provides information on curricula, programs, activities, strategies and plans that schools have in place to provide safe and learning environments. The conference agenda focuses on the four main components of a comprehensive safe schools plan:

• Prevention
• Intervention
• Crisis Response and Emergency Preparedness
• Postvention and Recovery.

   Information will be presented through intensive full-day institutes, keynote and general sessions, business meetings, 90-minute workshops and many professional networking opportunities.

Who Should Attend?
   Pennsylvania school districts, intermediate units, career and vocational-technical schools and charter schools are invited to attend. 2002-2003 Safe Schools Initiative grantees are required to attend. The conference is designed for: school administrators and staff; guidance and student support personnel; Safe and Drug-free Schools coordinators; school-based law enforcement; and other youth-serving organizations. Space is limited; register early to assure your participation.

   You many choose from seven full-day institutes on Monday, March 31, 2003:

• An Educator's Guide to Laws, Regulations, Problem-Solving and Crisis Situations - Bernard Hoffman, Ph.D., consultant, PA Department of Education, Philadelphia, PA
• Collaborative Strategies to Enhance Learning - Martin J. Blank, J.D., director for School/Family/Community Connections, Institute for Educational Leadership/Coalition for Community Schools, Washington, D.C.
• Pennsylvania Youth Suicide Prevention Plan - Virginia Biddle, R.N., C.R.N.P., Philadelphia School District, Philadelphia, PA; Sherry Peters, Statewide Mental Health SAP coordinator, PA Department of Public Welfare, Harrisburg, PA; Ranisa Rubin, Mental Health liaison, STAR Center Outreach, Pittsburgh, PA; and Vick Zittle, program director, PA Child Death Review, Rosemont, PA.
• Refugee Post Traumatic Disorder and Mental Health Issues - Margaret Modro, clinical educator, Western Psychiatric Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA; and Susan Tarasevich, Ph.D., Western Psychiatric Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, PA.
• Comprehensive Safe Schools Planning - James Copple, vice president, National Crime Prevention Council, Washington, D.C.
• Put the Brakes on Hate: What we should do and what each of us can do - Michelle Gwinn, special investigator, Civil Rights Division, Office of Attorney General, Harrisburg, PA; Quay Hanna, Reformed Racist, Lancaster, PA; Lt. Barry Staub, Heritage Affairs officer for the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, Hershey, PA; and Ann Van Dyke, assistant director of education and community services, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Harrisburg, PA.
• Violence Prevention and Crisis Response - Cheri Lovre, M.S., director, Crisis Management Institute, Salem, OR.

   During the conference, participants will have an opportunity to select and attend three 90-minute workshops covering the essential components of comprehensive safe schools planning.

   The keynote speakers include the following: Allan L. Beane, Ph.D., president, Creative Solutions, Murray, KY; Beverly Coleman-Miller, M.D., advisor, Superior Court, Washington, D.C.; James E. Copple, vice president, National Crime Prevention Council, Washington, D.C.; and Rachel Simmons, author, Brooklyn, NY.

   The Center for Safe Schools/Center for Schools and Communities, as a division of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, is offering Act 48 credit for selected workshop attendance. Participants must attend workshops from beginning to end to receive credit. A facilitator will distribute the Record of Attendance form at the beginning of each workshop and collect the required information upon completion of the workshop.

   The conference is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. There is no cost to attend.

   Register early -- the deadline for registration is March 20, 2003 or until registration is full. If you need a registration form, please visit the Center for Safe Schools web site at www.safeschools.info and click on training. Please mail or fax registration forms to:

Center for Safe Schools
1300 Market Street, Suite 12
Lemoyne, PA 17043
Fax: 717.763.1661

   For more information, contact the Center for Safe Schools at 717.763.1661 or visit our web site at www.safeschools.info and click on training.