ED’s OSHS PREVENTION NEWS DIGEST Office of Safe and Healthy Students MARCH 23, 2012 VOLUME 7, NUMBER 12 | |
In This Issue 1. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs seeking proposals for the 2012 Leadership Conference 2. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics Releases 2011 School Crime and Safety Report 3. CDC Study Identifies Factors associated with Youth Gang Affiliation that have Potential Prevention Implications 4 Prevention Update: Bullying and Cyberbullying at Colleges and Universities 5. FEMA Calls for Nominations to the National Youth Preparedness Council 6. Funding Opportunities: -U-ACT Program, Activating -Leadership Grant Program for Women and Girls -Grants for School-based Running Programs -Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity The opinions expressed herein may not reflect the views of the Office of Safe and Healthy Students or the U.S. Department of Education. The availability of information from a variety of sources does not constitute and should not be considered as an endorsement of those sources by the U.S. Department of Education. We hope that you find this information to be useful. If you think ED’s OSHS PREVENTION NEWS DIGEST would be helpful to a friend or colleague, please send them to this website to: self enroll, change information, or unsubscribe. Contact Us: If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at: Sharon Burton Editor | U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs seeking proposals for the 2012 Leadership Conference The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is seeking proposals for the 2012 OSEP Leadership Conference (http://leadership-2012.events.tadnet.org). This year’s theme is Leading Together to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career. The 2012 OSEP Leadership Conference (previously named the OSEP Mega Leadership Conference) will support better outcomes for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families by providing opportunities for key leaders and partners to interact with Department staff and OSEP-funded technical assistance providers. The conference is designed for: PTIs, CPRCs, and PTACs; State Part B Directors of Special Education and staff; State Part C and Section 619 Coordinators and staff; State ICC Chairs; and Parts B and C IDEA Data Managers responsible for submitting 618 Data. Others are welcome to attend. This conference will enhance leadership roles through opportunities to hear from experts in the field and to learn about evidence-based practices that will support participants’ ability to improve results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. In response to feedback received from previous year conference attendees, and to ensure that the breakout sessions at the 2012 OSEP Leadership Conference address the most relevant and interesting topics, OSEP has incorporated a call for proposals into its breakout session planning process. As a result, this year’s conference agenda will include a combination of invited and proposed/accepted presenters for the breakout sessions. Proposals are due Monday, March 26, 2012. To submit a proposal, please visit http://leadership-2012.events.tadnet.org/pages/10. Please contact Shedeh Hajghassemali at [log in to unmask] or Hillary Tabor at [log in to unmask] if you have any questions regarding the Call for Proposals process. Call for Proposals Deadlines: Proposal Submission Deadline: March 26, 2012 Notification of submission status: Within six weeks of submission Presenters must accept and confirm: Within one week of acceptance Source: U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics Releases 2011 School Crime and Safety Report The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has released, “Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2011,” a report that provides data on crime and safety at school from the perspective of students, teachers, and principals. It also provides crime and safety information for students’ travel to and from school. The report highlights the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools and school environments and responses to violence and crime at school. Download the report online. Resources: To find out more information or to download the report, go to www.ncjrs.gov/bjsreleases/isc11_juvjust.htm Source: JUVJUST, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice Prevention Update: Bullying and Cyberbullying at Colleges and Universities Now Posted Bullying can be verbal (name-calling, teasing), social (spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose, breaking up friendships), physical (hitting, punching, shoving), and cyberbullying (using the Internet, mobile telephones, or other digital technologies to harm others). At a White House Summit on Bullying in March 2011, Eduardo Ochoa, assistant secretary for postsecondary education in the U.S. Department of Education, said, "The issue of bullying is different in higher education than K-12. Once students reach the age of 18, new protections regarding bullying behaviors are afforded to them by law. But in college, most of the behaviors are not typically labeled as bullying." To view online or download Bullying and Cyberbullying at Colleges and Universities, please visit the Prevention Updates page on the Center's Web site. Source: U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention’s HEC/News HHS’ CDC Study Identifies Factors associated with Youth Gang Affiliation that have Potential Prevention Implications The results are useful for prevention planning. The study, “Risk and Protective Factors associated with Gang Affiliation among High-Risk Youth: A Public Health Approach” appears in the January 11, 2012 online edition of Injury Prevention. The study found an estimated 7% of youths were gang affiliated. But the percentage of youth who reported gang affiliation varied, depending on the number of protective influences, such as parental monitoring and a youth’s ability to cope with conflict. Other key findings in the report include: -Gang affiliation was positively associated with engaging in any delinquent behaviors and frequent alcohol or drug use. Gang affiliation was negatively associated with moderate to high levels of parental monitoring and coping skills. -Those youths with four or more risk factors were nearly six times more likely to be gang affiliated than those with zero to one risk factor. The odds of gang affiliation were significantly higher as youth accumulated two or more risk factors. -Youth who reported experiencing 5 or more protective factors were significantly less likely to report gang affiliation than those who reported 0-3. -For youth who live in high-risk communities, eliminating all potential risks for gang affiliation may be difficult. This research shows the potential value in increasing just a few key protective factors to help prevent youth from joining gangs. View an electronic copy of this report at http://bit.ly/GIYxGQ FEMA Calls for Nominations to the National Youth Preparedness Council The Federal Emergency Management Agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security looking for youth leaders who are dedicated to public service, who are making a difference in their community, and who want to expand their impact as a national advocate for youth preparedness. If you know a young person who has contributed to youth disaster preparedness or lived through a disaster, he or she may be nominated to serve on FEMA’s Youth Preparedness Council. Youth Preparedness Council nominees will represent a variety of kids: current or former students, a youth member of a local Citizen Corps Council, a youth club, or a member of a faith-based organization who is vocal and active in preparing peers, family, and neighborhood for potential emergencies. Nominations must be received by April 6, 11:59 p.m. EDT. About the Council -Teen CERT in Action -Citizen Corps Council Activities -After School Activities -Faith-based Youth Preparedness Activities -Camp Activities -Youth Club Activities (e.g., Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts) -National Preparedness Month Participation -Increasing Local Disaster Awareness -Resources: Doing More With Less -Rural Area Programs -Using Social Media -Pet/Service Animal Preparedness -Underrepresented Communities Programs -General Youth Preparedness Programs Youth Preparedness Council Participants will be announced in May 2012, and will be FEMA’s honored guests at a community preparedness roundtable event in Washington, D.C. on June 28 and 29. Nomination Process Complete instructions are available at: http://citizencorps.gov/getstarted/youth/youthindex.shtm. If you have any questions about the process that are not covered there, please email [log in to unmask]. Funding Opportunities U-ACT Program Activating Leadership Grant Program for Women and Girls Funded by Eileen Fisher Deadline: April 25, 2012 This funding opportunity is geared towards programs that bring about self-discovery and personal transformation; help women and/or girls find their inner strength and trust their intuition; and address any phase of a woman's and/or girl's life. Multiple awards of $5,000 or more will be available. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to organizations that show an innovative, holistic, effective, and direct approach to activating leadership among women and/or girls; form partnerships with other community organizations; and demonstrate their long-term sustainability. Nonprofits near Eileen Fisher offices, retail stores or showrooms will be given preference. Please contact Eileen Fisher for more information and to apply for this funding: Grants for School-based Running Programs Deadline: May 15, 2012 Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity Source: The Center for Health and Healthcare in Schools |