Violence Reduction at Lyons Central School District

The Lyons Central School District Resiliency, Equity, and Safety Initiative (RESI) will serve 824 K-12 students plus 53 PreK children. Our program is designed to address the daily challenges our youth face in a high needs rural region. Based upon a deep analysis of data regarding our youth and community using tools from the Lesley University Institute on Trauma Sensitivity, we break categorize our student needs into four areas: need to Attach to safe adults and peers, need to self-Regulate behavior and emotions, need to build both academic and non-academic competency, and need for social, emotional, and physical Health. Using this ARCH framework, our program proposes to achieve six main objectives that align to these needs, as well as address disparate data regarding young people of color and promote a safe climate in which to learn. Objective 1 is to increase student and staff knowledge and skills around building healthy relationships with peers and trusted adults. Objective 2 is to increase student and staff knowledge and skills around increasing empathy, demonstrating restraint. Objective 3 is to increase student agency and belief in self as agents of positive change. Objective 4 is to increase accessibility to mental, behavioral, & physical health resources to maintain a sense of safety. Objective 5 is to create a climate of inclusion and diversity where all members of the school community feel safe and that they belong. Objective 6 is to create a safe learning environment that actively utilizes both preventative and responsive tools and strategies. Our objectives are aligned with both the needs of our students and community, as well as the NTAC Guideline for School Safety. Our objectives use a variety of evidenced based strategies that are focused on preventing and reducing school violence including violence committed with firearms. Our strategies are both universal such as the development and implementation of an Anonymous Reporting System and the delivery of Implicit Bias Mitigation professional development as well as specific to target populations such as a My Brother's Keeper Youth Leadership Program and a paid work study program for at-risk youth. Priorities in our proposal include a focus on: 1) Proposing activities to incorporate the input and participation of communities that have been historically underserved and 2) The development and implementation of a technological Anonymous Reporting System. In addition, the Wayne County Sherriff's Office already has developed and adopted policies and best practices around Restrictions on unannounced entries and neck/carotid restraints. Our application addresses how the WCSO supports both policies as first responders that come into our schools.