The LearnSafe™ Initiative and its partners are proud to sponsor the second Texas Safe Schools Week 19-25 October 2008. Texas Safe Schools Week is the first statewide effort of its kind designed to increase awareness of school violence prevention, promote classroom and campus safety, and spread the word about programs designed to help all members of school communities throughout the state of Texas operate in productive, safe environments.

Texas Safe Schools Week is a focused program that supports its national counterpart, National Safe Schools Week. National Safe Schools Week is seven days each fall dedicated to helping students, teachers, parents and administrators raise awareness of the urgent need to keep our schools free from violence. Over 1,000,000 students across America take a weapon to school each month, and over 1.3 million students are injured or threatened with a weapon at school each year (Source: US CDC). In April of last year, the worst incident of violence at an American educational institution occurred at Virginia Tech University, resulting in the death of 33 people, including the gunman. In virtually all the incidents of school and campus violence that have occurred in America thus far, the perpetrator(s) have been "avengers", who were responding to a real or perceived injustice and seeking vengeance. Most of the perpetrators have been students or school personnel known by the school. In some rare instances, the perpetrator has been an outsider or unknown to the school community.

By working together to research and implement new safety programs, such as those designed to prevent violent behavior by creating an atmosphere at home and at school where our children do not have to use violence to express their emotions, all Texans can make a positive difference.

Throughout the week, schools and communities across America will focus their attention on the importance of empowering youth to prevent violence in the places where they learn and hang out. With the support of several national organizations, including national leaders in the fields of education, violence prevention and school safety, Texas Safe Schools Week events bring together key members of our schools and communities concerned about protecting youth in the state of Texas.

To find resources that help you spread the word or implement security solutions during Texas Safe Schools Week, contact us at (866) SAFE-024 or visit the Resources and Texas Mandates sections of this website.