May 6, 2011 Southwest Indiana Community Presentation - Michael E. Wells, Ph.D., US Department of Education, Washington D.C.
Dr. Wells updates our community on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Federal Initiative and how our local grant is making an impact!  Click here to see presentation slides

 

Show Me How is a 90-second "commercial" for the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.  Using cutting-edge techniques taken from music videos and original music performed by 11- to 13-year-old young people, Show Me How depicts the challenges facing youth in the our communities and the successful solutions provided by this unique Federal-local partnership.

                     Watch the "Show Me How" commercial

 

 

                                         Who Are We?

Southwest Indiana Schools and Community Collaborative

The Southwest Indiana Schools and Community Collaborative (SISCC) is part of the Federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, a collaboration of the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice to address rising concerns about youth violence, substance abuse, and school safety through grants to local community partnerships throughout the country.

The Southwest Indiana Schools and Community Collaborative (SISCC) is a consortia consisting of 8 school districts (48 schools) in the following 3 Indiana counties: Gibson, Posey, and Warrick. The Lead Local Education Agency is the Metropolitan School District of Mt. Vernon, which is partnering with East Gibson School Corporation, North Gibson School Corporation, South Gibson School Corporation, the Metropolitan School District of North Posey County, the New Harmony Town and Township Consolidated School, the Warrick County School Corporation, and the Catholic Diocese of Evansville schools located in Gibson, Posey, and Warrick counties. Local juvenile justice and law enforcement agencies in each county, the regional mental health agency, and community organizations will be partnering with the encompassing 48 schools to accomplish the goals of the SSHS grant.

Mission Statement

The mission of the SISCC is to promote, implement, and sustain lasting positive changes that support student success. The overarching goal is to further systems-change for the comprehensive and integrated delivery of programs and services to prevent violence and promote the healthy development of children and youth.

Award & Implementation

The SISCC was awarded a four year Federal Grant of $1.4 million per year ($5.6 million over the life of the grant) in July 2008 to address the 5 key Safe Schools Healthy Students elements. The Core Management Team (CMT) is responsible for the governance of the SISCC through an integrated and comprehensive 3-county plan. The CMT will provide assistance in determining services which should be implemented and will help to unite the four systems (school districts, law enforcement, juvenile justice, and mental health) in an active partnership to integrate the five key elements and ensure that the services offered are creating the change that produces safer schools and healthier students.

The Federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative

The Federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative has funded more than 365 urban, suburban, rural, and tribal areas nationwide since 1999. This grant is the result of a unique collaboration among the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice and was created in response to rising concerns about youth violence, substance abuse, and school safety. Each grant site determines how funds can best be used within the community to link new and existing services. Partnership between schools and communities creates a coordinated, cooperative effort that recognizes the complexity of these issues and their root causes. Using programs and services that have a proven track record of success, as well as strategies for both prevention and intervention, the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative helps reduce the risk factors that come between children of all ages and their ability to learn—and to stay safe and healthy.