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The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools is pleased to offer representatives from schools and school districts across the nation two opportunities to participate in a 1.5 day training on emergency management.

The Emergency Management for Schools Training is designed to provide critical training on emergency management issues, resources and practices. Materials and information will emphasize emergency management plan development and enhancement within the framework of the four phases of emergency management:  Prevention- Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Participants will also have the chance to participate in exercises underscoring key training principles. Both trainings present an exciting opportunity for school-based staff and administrators from Local Educational Agencies (LEA) or nonpublic schools to acquire requisite knowledge to help develop effective, all-hazards emergency management plans.

The two trainings are scheduled as follows:

* April 10-11, 2008 - W Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
* June 4-5, 2008 - Marriott Hotel, San Francisco, California

Eligibility: Participation is currently limited to 125 individuals per training. Only one representative per LEA or nonpublic school is eligible to attend. This training is also intended primarily for LEAs that have not received an OSDFS Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) (formerly known as Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM)) grant. However, if you fall into either of the following categories you may be placed on the wait list for this event(s):

• Your district/LEA is a prior REMS/ERCM grantee
• You are the second individual from your district/LEA to want to attend this training event this year

Cost: Participation in the training is free. Attendees are responsible for transportation costs, hotel rooms at the conference hotel, and meals (lunch is provided on Day 1 of the Training). Registered participants living more 50 miles away from the training site may also apply for scholarship opportunities to help cover travel costs. For more information on applying for a scholarship, please click here.

For more information and to pre-register for one of these events, please visit the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools TA Center.

If you have any questions about these training events, or eligibility to attend, please contact the REMS TA Center at info@remstacenter.org or (866) 540-7367. Pre-register early to ensure your place at this important training opportunity!

Request for Applications (RFA) No. SP-08-004
Posting on Grants.gov: March 6, 2008
Receipt Date: April 9, 2008
Announcement Type: Initial

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2008 for Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP Act) grants.

The purpose of this program is to prevent and reduce alcohol use among youth in communities throughout the United States. It was created to strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal Government, and state, local and tribal governments; to enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination on the issue of alcohol use among youth; to serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations of a community that first demonstrates a long-term commitment to reducing alcohol use among youth; and to disseminate to communities timely information regarding state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to be effective in preventing and reducing alcohol use among youth.

Download the Complete Announcement No. SP-08-004:

Download RFA in Adobe PDF Format
Applying for a New SAMHSA Grant
Grant Awards by State

Due Date for Applications:
April 9, 2008
Anticipated Total Available Funding:
$3.93 million
Anticipated Number of Awards:
Up to 80
Anticipated Award Amount:
Up to $50,000 per year
Length of Project Period:
Up to 4 years

2008 OJJDP National Youth Gang Symposium



On June 23-26, 2008, the OJJDP Youth Gang Symposium will be held in Atlanta, GA. The theme is “Partnering to Prevent Gang Violence: From Faith-Based and Community Organizations to Law Enforcement.” The conference will feature focused workshops to enhance efforts by law enforcement, school personnel, faith-based and community organizations, policymakers, youth serving agencies, and others who are working together to combat youth gang issues.

To receive the early registration rate, register by April 30. To obtain further information and register online, visit the symposium's Web site or call 850-385-0600, extension 270.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/welcome.html] (BJS) has published the report "Campus Law Enforcement, 2004-05"

The report presents findings from a BJS survey of campus law enforcement agencies serving 4-year public and private colleges and universities with 2,500 or more students. Appendix tables include data from 2-year public colleges with an enrollment of 10,000 or more students.

Resources:
To access this report or order the hardcopy version, please click here.

Abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs is a problem throughout the United States. Yet communities vary greatly in the specific problems they face, the groups affected by those problems, and the events that rouse people to take action. In addition to having different problems and priorities, some communities have more resources and experience with locally based prevention activities than others. Yet, with a “can do” approach and a bit of guidance, any community can have success in preventing substance abuse.

SAMHSA has developed this practical guide to successful prevention strategies. Easy-to-read content includes two-page summaries of eleven substance abuse prevention topics and a model timeline for carrying out a prevention activity.

OAS Substance Use Facts (From SAMHSA's Office of Applied Studies):

• On an average day in 2006, youth used the following substances for the first time: 7,970 drank alcohol for the first time, 4,348 used an illicit drug for the first time, 4,082 smoked cigarettes for the first time, 3,577 used marijuana for the first time, and 2,517 used pain relievers nonmedically for the first time.
• Youth who used alcohol in the past month drank an average of 4.7 drinks per day on the days they drank and those who smoked cigarettes in the past month smoked an average of 4.6 cigarettes per day on the days they smoked.

Download Focus on Prevention    (PDF)

Order your free copy now! (BKD544)