Anchorage School District Project Brighter Futures

The Anchorage School District (ASD) located in Anchorage, Alaska proposes to implement the Project Brighter Futures under Category 2 Priority 1a. The intended beneficiaries of this project include ASD staff, parents, and students as well as the broader community. Project partners include the Anchorage Police Department, Alaska Behavioral Health, Volunteers of America, and Providence. The purpose is to expand our culturally responsive and trauma-informed integrated threat, suicide, and self-harm assessments and training across the district to reduce school violence and increase connections and services to students and families. Project activities include (1) Districtwide training in emergency response and integrated threat assessments (2) integrated assessment tools (3) Coordinated multi-agency mental health, threat assessment, and preventing school violence training and protocol development (4) School-based staff training on preventing school violence (5) Anti-bullying training  (6) Purchase of school safety equipment to assist in the implementation of crisis response system and promote a healthy school climate. Expected outcomes include a safer and more supportive community where individuals are equipped with the skills to respond effectively to medical emergencies and mental health crises and generate an understanding that mental health is fundamental for establishing physical and emotional safety within schools.