Promoting Safe School Environments

By the time most young people graduate from high school, they have spent over 105,000 hours in school. In addition to their academics, children learn many lessons about interpersonal relationships, citizenship, and personal decision making. There are several school factors that can influence the likelihood of a young person developing healthy, safe attitudes and behaviors.  The Partnership’s school-based prevention work focuses on improving school climate and school attendance.

School climate refers to the quality and character of school life.  It reflects the experiences, values, beliefs, relationships, teaching practices, and physical surroundings which affect the attitudes, behaviors and performance of the school community. The climate can be thought of as what young people feel when they walk into their school. Does it feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe? Do young people learn how to treat people kindly and care for themselves?

For more information about some of the work we do to improve school climate, read about our E3: Encourage, Empower, Engage program and the All-Abilities Alliance.