GGSVP25: YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL CONVERSATION ON SCHOOL SAFETY

To Our Safe and Sound Community,

As the new year begins, we’re reflecting on the incredible momentum we achieved in 2024, capped by the Eastern West Virginia Safety Summit for Schools and Communities. This event brought together national experts, local leaders, and dedicated advocates for two unforgettable days of training and collaboration. A heartfelt thank you to all who joined us in Martinsburg, West Virginia—we hope to see you again soon!

Carrying that momentum into 2025, we’re all looking forward to another very special event. In partnership with Theresa Campbell and the teams at Safer Schools Together and the International Center for Digital Threat Assessment® (ICDTA), our team is heading to Vancouver, BC, to lead the international conversation on school safety, the emerging threats landscape, and proven strategies to address them.

The Gangs, Guns, and School Violence Prevention Summit (GGSVP25), is a 2-day event, taking place February 13th and 14th, that will feature timely insights from internationally recognized speakers and experts. Attendees will leave equipped with best practices, innovative programs, tools, and actionable strategies to enhance school safety.

Can’t join us in Vancouver? No problem! With in-person and virtual attendee options available, you can participate from anywhere. After all, school safety knows no borders, and we’re offering ways for everyone to get involved.

Here’s a peek at what we have on the agenda for #GGSVP25, and some of the school safety subject matter experts who will be there:

School Violence Prevention Topics

• Grooming 101 – A Predator’s Playbook and Perspectives on Sexual Exploitation & Sexualized Violence – Opening keynote and panel led by Michele Denault 

• Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment®: Identifying Threats of Violence Through Digital Leakage – Melissa Reeves and Steven MacDonald

• Especially Safe®: An Inclusive Approach to Safety Preparedness in Educational Settings – Dr. Joe McKenna

• Pathways for Prevention: Changing the Trajectory – Ben Fernandez

• Choosing to Survive: Lessons from Red Lake – Missy Dodds

• Beyond the Bandaids: Implementing a Bleeding Control Program in the K-12 Space – Meg Soultz and Dr. Savahanna Wagner

• A Bio-Psycho-Social-Cultural Analysis of School Shooters – Dr. Peter Langman and Molly Hudgens

• The Emerging Threat Assessment Landscape – Jim Murray, Theresa Campbell, Dr. Peter Langman, Steven MacDonald and Dr Melissa Reeves

  
  

In addition to this impressive lineup of talented and highly respected school safety experts, I’ll share Perspectives In Prevention: Lessons Learned from the Sandy Hook School Tragedy to begin Day 2 of the event.

Gangs & Guns Prevention Topics

• Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice – GRIP-DTA®

  • Setting up an effective prevention/intervention strategy to address gang/gun violence

  • Understanding the dynamics of gang recruitment and the impact on youth gangs through a digital lens

• Current Gang Landscape Throughout North America

• A Community-Focused Approach: Assessing and Responding to Gang-Associated Behaviors in Youth

• Supporting Newcomer Communities and Preventing Gang Involvement

• Impact of Organized Crime Groups

  • Awareness of tobacco, tobacco products (Zyn), and vaping in our communities: Practical solutions and innovative approaches to prevention and intervention

• Human Trafficking Groups

• Firearms and Gang Violence: Understanding the Intersection

  
  

So join us—virtually or in person—on February 13th and 14th for GGSVP25.

Let’s make 2025 a year of more impactful conversations and meaningful action in school safety!

With gratitude,

Michele Gay

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Check Out the Highlights from Our Eastern West Virginia Safety Summit!

Safe and Sound Schools, in partnership with Berkeley County agencies, ended 2024 on a high note with the Eastern West Virginia School Safety Summit. Coming together to unite national experts and local leaders, this timely event featured best practices, innovative programs, and actionable insights for school and community safety. A sincere thank you to all who attended—we hope to see more of you in Vancouver!

This project was made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, opportunity number DHS-22-TTP-132-00-01.