• 2010 OSDFS Higher Education Conference
  
  The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, is planning on holding the next National Meeting on Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention in Higher Education in 2010. The meeting will include a comprehensive agenda designed to respond to the current needs on college campuses. Agenda ideas will include the need to address the continued high rates of illegal alcohol and other drug use and abuse, emergency management and preparedness for higher education, the impact of H1N1, mental health and wellness, as well as violent behavior among college students. If you would like to propose some agenda topics or ideas for consideration, please send them to the following email address: osdfsnationalconference@ed.gov. Additional details will be posted on this web site as they become available.

• U.S. DEPT. OF ED's OSDFS hosted the NATIONAL CONFERENCE, AUGUST 3-5. 2009

• A NOTE FROM OSDFS ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY KEVIN JENNINGS REGARDING THE OSDFS NATIONAL CONFERENCE
  As you may know, I began in the position of Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools barely a month ago, on July 6. I have likened my first few weeks to the experience of trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose, as there has been so much to learn, so many people to meet, and so much to do. But the highlight of my brief tenure has definitely been the OSDFS National Conference, which took place August 3-4, and the subsequent meetings with OSDFS grantees I was able to attend on August 4, 5 and 10. I have been completely inspired by the dedication, intelligence and good work of the folks we work with at the state and local level. You are the people showing the leadership we must have if we are to make the changes that are so desperately needed so that every student can attend a school where they feel safe and valued and able to focus on getting an education. I thank you for that work and for the encouragement so many of you have offered to me personally. My email address is Kevin.Jennings@ed.gov and I always welcome your thoughts, questions, and comments.

• 2007 OSDFS National Conference
  Celebrating 20 Years of Collaboration To Make Schools Safe, Healthy, and drug Free: Reflecting on the Past and Looking Ahead was the theme of this year's conference that reflected on the past 20 years to highlight key events affecting the OSDFS and focused on how these occurences have molded the current mission today and outcomes for the future. It provided educational leaders with a valuable opportunity to explore these topics and receive information that can influence policy design and effective decisionmaking. Individual presentations from the conference will be available in the near future.

2009

• OSDFS Announces FY 2009 Awards for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grants (includes contact and funding information) CFDA #84.215F

OSDFS Announces Safe Schools-Healthy Students Initiative CFDA #84.184L

• OSDFS Announces Emergency Management for Higher Education CFDA #84.184T

• OSDFS Announces Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools CFDA #84.184E

• OSDFS Announces Models of Exemplary, Effective, and Promising Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention Programs on College Campuses College Campuses Grant Competition CFDA 84.184N

• OSDFS Announces Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse CFDA #84.184A

• OSDFS Announces Grant Competition to Prevent High-Risk Drinking or Violent Behavior among College Students CFDA #84.184H

• OSDFS Announces Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems CFDA #84.215M

• OSDFS Announces Foundations for Learning Grants

• OSDFS Announces FY 2009 Awards Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs

2008

• OSDFS Announces FY 2008 Awards Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative

• OSDFS Announces FY 2008 Awards for Grants to Reduce Alcohol Abuse Program

• OSDFS Announcement FY 2008 Awards for Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems Program

• OSDFS Announcement FY 2008 Award for School-Based Student Drug-Testing Programs

• OSDFS Announces FY 2008 Awards Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools

• OSDFS Announces FY 2008 Awards Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems

2007

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Mentoring Grants

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Awards for Emergency Response and Crisis Management Discretionary Grant Program
  MS Word (87K)

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative awards.

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Awards for Foundations for Learning Grants

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Awards for Grant to Reduce Alcohol Abuse

• OSDFS Announces FY 2007 Awards for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grants (includes contact and funding information)

The Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is in the process of recruiting qualified reviewers for several of its competitions that will be held this year. Our office has a database that houses information supporting this process. For additional details click here.

Human Trafficking of Children in the United States - A Fact Sheet for Schools (August 2007)

• SECRETARY'S LETTER AND OTHER INFORMATION FROM WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON SCHOOL SAFETY
  As a follow-up to the recent White House Conference on School Safety, the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, issued a follow-up cover letter and message from the conference. The Department also held a School Safety Live Video Webcast on November 15, 2007--to review crisis planning and learn how schools can mitigate, prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from a crisis.

• Federal Assistance to the Mid-West: Information
  You are in our thoughts as you face the challenges brought on by severe weather. Below is information we trust you will find useful in the days ahead. We will provide you with updated information as the situation warrants. As of Thursday, June 26, 2008, counties in eight states -- Iowa , Illinois , Mississippi , Nebraska , Indiana , Wisconsin , Minnesota , and Missouri - have been designated major disaster areas due to severe weather. This link provides valuable resources to obtain Federal assistance and to contact your State Emergency Management office.

• Prior Knowledge of Potential School Based Violence: Information Students Learn May Prevent A Target Attack is a collaborative study conducted by the Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education (May 2008). View the Bystander study.

• Enhancing Achievement and Proficiency through Safe and Drug-Free Schools" is a report by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Advisory Committee (June 2007) See the press release and report MS Word (156K)

• The Department's Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools is organizing emergency teams of physicians and medical personnel to provide immediate mental health services to local communities. The OSDFS has established a toll-free hotline for people in crisis. By calling 1-800-273-TALK, callers will be connected to trained professionals from a network of local counseling centers that are prepared to help those suffering from emotional trauma, such as anger, grief, hopelessness, shock, and sleeplessness, as a result of the disaster. The hotline is open 24 hours a day, every day.