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Sandy Hook Promise Applauds Federal Increases in STOP School Violence Act Grant Funding Encourages More States and Districts to Apply

Newtown, CT — Yesterday, the federal government opened the application process for funding available for violence prevention training for schools created by the STOP School Violence Act. The Department of Justice’s request for proposal encourages more states, school districts, and tribal organizations to apply to bring evidence-based violence prevention programs to more youth nationwide.

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) applauds the increased funding released for the next cycle grants for Fiscal Year 2019 and issued the following statement:

“We were proud to champion the STOP School Violence Act with our bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate and applaud Congress for increasing funding for these grants to protect more students from violence. We know we can prevent violence in our schools with programs like SHP’s Know the Signs, as this critical investment will help states and school districts across the country to train and protect millions more students and stop tragedies before they can happen,” said Mark Barden, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and father of Daniel who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy.

The STOP School Violence Act was introduced in January 2018 to scale proven, evidence-based early intervention programming to schools across the country to prevent future school shootings, suicides, and other forms of school violence, based on the research and lessons learned from Sandy Hook and other tragic shootings. The legislation authorizes the Department of Justice to make grants to states for the purposes of training students, school personnel, and law enforcement to identify signs of violence and intervene to prevent people from hurting themselves or others. The legislation also encourages the development and operation of anonymous reporting systems, and formation of school threat assessment and intervention teams to help schools intake and triage threats before tragedy strikes.

In Fiscal Year 2018, SHP partnered with six states and 13 school districts to train 2.6 million youth and adults how to identify, assess, and get help for individuals who may be at-risk of hurting themselves or others in order to stop violence BEFORE it can occur.  Now, with further federal support of these life-saving programs, SHP and other organizations will be able to partner with states, school districts, and tribal organizations to protect millions more from violence.

To date, Sandy Hook Promise has trained more than 6.5 million youth and adults on 14,000+ schools in its Know the Signs programs that focus on prevention to help end the epidemic of gun violence. Through these no-cost programs, Sandy Hook Promise has averted multiple school shooting plots, teen suicides, and other acts of violence.

About the STOP School Violence Act

The STOP School Violence Act was introduced in the House of Representatives before the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to build off of the research and lessons learned from Sandy Hook and other tragic shootings and scale proven early intervention programming to schools across the country to prevent future school shootings, suicides, and other forms of school violence and victimization. It was passed and signed into law on March 28, 2018, as part of the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus funding bill. Sandy Hook Promise proudly worked with Republicans and Democrats to write and pass this legislation.

About Sandy Hook Promise

Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) is a national nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.  SHP’s mission is to prevent gun violence and other forms of violence and victimization BEFORE they happen by creating a culture of engaged youth and adults committed to identifying, intervening, and getting help for individuals who might be at risk of hurting themselves or others.  SHP is a moderate, above-the-politics organization that supports sensible program and policy solutions that address the “human-side” of gun violence by preventing individuals from ever getting to the point of picking up a firearm to hurt themselves or others. Our words, actions, and impact nationwide are intended to honor all victims of gun violence by turning our tragedy into a moment of transformation. Make the Promise at www.sandyhookpromise.org.