NATIONAL – The federal government opened the application process for funding violence and suicide prevention training for schools mandated by the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act.

The Department of Justice’s request for proposal encourages states, school districts, and tribal organizations to apply for evidence-based violence prevention programs in middle and high schools nationwide. The application period is only open until Aug. 2, so states and districts must act fast to secure one of these grants.

More youth than ever will be facing mental health challenges due to the pandemic as schools look to reopen this fall. Recent studies show more than 70% of teenagers are already struggling with mental health concerns, and one in four has considered suicide. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among teenagers — tragedies that are preventable.

“Programs that help students spot the signs of a classmate in distress and how to reach out for help will be crucial as they go back to school this year,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and managing director of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. “Bringing violence and suicide prevention programs to more students can and will save lives. These STOP School Violence grants ensure that cost is not a barrier for schools to protect youth from violence.”

The STOP School Violence Act builds off of the research and lessons learned from Sandy Hook and other school shootings to scale proven, evidence-based early intervention programming in schools across the country to prevent future shootings, suicides, and other forms of school violence. Sandy Hook Promise proudly worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass the STOP School Violence Act of 2018 that will continue to fund training for millions of students and adults to “know the signs” of gun violence and how to act to prevent it.