April 7, 2008

More than 25 middle and high school teachers, School Resource Officers and police officers from Yonkers, New York, will participate in a school violence prevention training as part of a collaborative effort to educate students about the role they can play in preventing violence on campus and in the community.  The training marks the start of the SPEAK UP school violence prevention program for 12,000 middle and high school students in Yonkers.

The program features 1-866-SPEAK-UP, the first and only national, toll-free hotline students can call to anonymously report weapon threats. In five years, the bilingual hotline has received more than 25,000 calls.  SPEAK UP also includes lesson plans for middle and high school students that meet national curriculum standards, skills-building activities for students and a national awareness campaign including powerful public service announcements.

A joint U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education study shows that in 81% of school shootings, the attacker tells other students about their plans beforehand. Further studies have shown that when weapons are confiscated in schools, 92% of the time the tip comes from another student.  These data show that students, when given the right tools, can play a critical role in keeping their friends, classmates and communities safe from violence.

Yonkers Public Schools is working closely with PAX/Real Solutions to Gun Violence, which founded SPEAK UP, to implement the program, with support from Yonkers law enforcement and City Hall.    
        

Who:	More than 25 middle and high school teachers and School Resource Officers, police officers from Yonkers, and SPEAK UP staff
What:	SPEAK UP youth violence prevention program training supported by Yonkers Public Schools
When:	Friday, April 11, 2008 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Where:	Saunders High School 183 Palmer Road, Yonkers, NY 10701

Read more about the SPEAK UP program.

Visit the Yonkers Public Schools Web site.

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