Deadline to Submit Proposals for Funding Consideration is Friday, Nov. 1
WATERTOWN — The Safe Schools Endeavor, in partnership with the Northern New York Community Foundation, is pleased to announce that applications for 2024-2025 funding are now available. All schools in Jefferson and Lewis counties are eligible and encouraged to seek grant funding for projects, programs, and initiatives that seek to strengthen school safety and improve student and campus culture.
School officials and representatives should complete applications no later than Friday, Nov. 1. All applications must be completed through the Community Foundation’s online Grant Lifecycle Manager, which may be accessed at bit.ly/grant-portal. Grant awards will be determined in December and applicants will be notified with a funding decision no later than early January.
Since 2018, nearly $102,000 in grant funding has been awarded to 16 school districts across the two counties to support 55 projects. Public and private schools are welcome to apply.
Grants are made possible thanks to the generous gifts of many individuals, businesses, and organizations in Jefferson and Lewis counties who support the Safe Schools Endeavor and its mission to help keep all children safe while they are at school.
“We are very grateful that this effort has been embraced by donors and area school districts. It is an important partnership that has most certainly made our schools and our students safer and more secure,” said Rande S. Richardson, Community Foundation executive director. “Helping keep our children safe requires the efforts of many, and as long as there is a need, I’m hopeful there will be resources to help.”
The Safe Schools Endeavor will consider applications submitted by students, teachers, faculty, staff, and parents. Any individual or group with an idea to improve safety within their Jefferson or Lewis County school should discuss the concept with their respective school administrator to gather their support. Proposals that are student-led or involve close collaboration with students may receive additional weight as funding is considered.
“While it is heartbreaking to continue to read the headlines of tragedies happening in schools across the country, we could not be more grateful for the generosity of our donors who join us in our effort to make our local schools as safe as possible,” Safe Schools Endeavor Steering Committee Chair Erika Flint said. “In addition to the local businesses, organizations, and individuals who so kindly give, we thank our school districts for their implementation of such meaningful projects. I am humbled by the administrations and teachers in our Jefferson and Lewis County schools who care so much and work so hard to ensure the safety of our children.”
Proposals can include student or parent programming, equipment, faculty and staff training, or anything else that an individual or group within the school community believes would enhance the overall safety of the school and its members.
The Safe Schools Endeavor stresses awareness, empowerment, and action within school communities, and grant proposals will be evaluated based upon the degree to which they embody these desired outcomes. A scoring rubric is also available for review at bit.ly/sserubric. Email Mrs. Flint at eflint@fdrhpo.org, with any application questions.
Individuals and groups may request any amount, but typical grants will fall in the range of $1,000 to $2,500. All projects or programs must begin or occur in the 2024-2025 school year with support from the respective school district. Funding for programs or projects that have already occurred are not eligible as the Safe Schools Endeavor is not a source for reimbursement of expenses.
To stay informed about the Safe Schools Endeavor and its progress in our schools, like it on Facebook at Facebook.com/SafeSchoolsEndeavor and follow it in Instagram at Instagram.com/safeschoolsendeavor.
For the 2023-2024 school year, 13 projects were awarded grant funding totaling nearly $24,000. Schools and projects receiving support were:
- Beaver River Central School District, to purchase an automated external defibrillator for use in the district’s swimming pool area. This grant request was initiated by a student with support from the school safety officer.
- Belleville Henderson Central School District, to support its “Sweethearts and Heroes” anti-bullying program.
- Carthage Central School District, to purchase materials for teachers at Carthage Elementary who want to create or improve a classroom calming corner.
- Copenhagen Central School District, to purchase door stops and “Stop the Bleed” kits.
- General Brown Central School District, to help purchase radios for use by nurses and essential staff to improve communications across all school properties.
- Indian River Central School District, to create a therapy dog program at the high school to support the social and emotional needs of students.
- Jefferson-Lewis-Hamilton-Herkimer-Oneida BOCES, to install two cell phone signal boosters to increase service on campus to LTE/5G service for urgent calls.
- LaFargeville Central School District, to install surveillance cameras in areas not presently covered.
- Lowville Academy and Central School Elementary School, to create calming corners for each classroom.
- Lowville Academy and Central School High School, to secure new emergency radios for use by a new school safety officer and administrators in all buildings.
- Lyme Central School, to provide appropriate school crossing guard coverage, training, and outfitting for a volunteer group.
- Sackets Harbor Central School, to retrofit several school windows with security glazing to create a protective barrier.
- South Lewis Central School, to install 23MIL Armoured One Shooter Attack/Bomb Film on the main entrance/vestibule windows of campus.
About the Safe Schools Endeavor
In the days that followed the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 14 students and three staff members dead, and 17 others wounded, a group of North Country residents were called to act in their own communities in Jefferson and Lewis counties.
While school safety leads many discussions across the country, the Safe Schools Endeavor was created to encourage change at a very local level. Its founding members believe our children are our most precious resource and should never worry for their safety at school.
With generous support from the Northern New York Community Foundation, a $20,000 matching grant for all gifts made in support of the initiative was announced and a focused effort to seek donations soon began. The movement struck a chord with many Northern New Yorkers who quickly gave to the effort and met the matching challenge, confirming a guiding philosophy that together “A Few Can Make a Difference.”
Am all-volunteer Steering Committee manages the Safe Schools Endeavor. Committee members are parents, school officials, and student representatives. They include:
- Erika Flint, executive director, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, and Safe Schools Endeavor Steering Committee chairwoman
- Jessica Bowline, president, Indigo Inkwell, Inc.
- Sarah Colligan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County
- Andrianna Crawford, counselor, Lowville Academy and Central School
- Brittney Fults, teacher, Carthage Central
- Brigitte Gillette, counselor, Copenhagen Central
- Marjorie LaVere, administrative assistant, Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office
- Todd Lighthall, executive director, Camp Oswegatchie, and member, Beaver River Central School Board of Education
- Angela Mathews, Counselor, U.S. Army MEDDAC Behavior Health Department, Fort Drum
- Morgan Pratt Neaves, assistant principal, Indian River Central
- Rebecca Paté-Johnson, Head Start family advocate, Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County
- Shane Ryan, School Resource Officer, Watertown City School District
- Kylie Simpson, probation officer, Lewis County Probation Department
- Stephen Todd, superintendent, Jeff-Lewis BOCES
- Skyler Tuttle, School Resource Officer, Lowville Academy and Central School
- Talitha Workman, preschool teacher, Augustinian Academy
- Student representatives:
- Anmolika Bolla, Watertown High School Class of 2022
- Hailyn Buker, South Jefferson Class of 2022
- Claire Jones, Copenhagen Central Class of 2024
- Philip Marra, Watertown High School Class of 2021
- Samantha Stokely, Copenhagen Central Class of 2024
- Peyton Taylor, Copenhagen Central Class of 2024.
About the Northern New York Community Foundation
Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.
Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.
The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.