Project Unite: The Four Integrated Systems for School Violence Prevention

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a comprehensive and integrated approach to school safety addresses five components of planning: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery. Project Unite: Four Integrated Systems for School Violence Prevention focuses on preventing violence (i.e., the actions school and law enforcement officials can take to decrease the likelihood violence will occur).

The key components, or systems, of Project Unite, are (1) positive school culture and climate, (2) bystander reporting and response, (3) information sharing, and (4) behavioral threat and suicide assessment and management. Project Unite provides step-by-step guidance for implementing each component using a comprehensive approach informed by federal recommendations, research, and community policing principles.  Schools can adapt the implementation of these components to address their unique needs, resources, and students’ age and developmental levels.

The multidisciplinary school safety team should lead this effort. Project Unite shares information on the SARA Model for problem-solving (e.g., Scan, Analyze, Respond, and Assess) to help teams with this work. The SARA Model framework can be applied to each component of school violence prevention to help teams gather data on relevant violence prevention issues (e.g., climate, threats), analyze the data to identify patterns, respond to data-identified needs, and assess the impact of the response (e.g., programs, policies). 

This training provides an overview of Project Unite, instruction on each key violence prevention system, and best practices for implementation. Modules include group discussions and team exercises to assist multidisciplinary school safety teams as they assess their current school safety systems and identify gaps and areas for improvement. Time is allotted for school safety teams to develop a violence prevention action plan in support of safety for their school.

Upon completion of this course, multidisciplinary school safety teams will possess the knowledge to implement violence prevention initiatives using a systems approach and be equipped with an actionable plan and next steps for strengthening their own school’s safety. Participants will also receive a participant manual containing tools and resources to assist in planning and implementation efforts.

NASRO Project Unite Course Description, Overview, Objectives, and Agenda

Course Length: 2 Days (16 hours) | 8 AM - 5 PM

Cost: $350 per person for NASRO members / $400 per person for non-NASRO members