Presentation Titles and Abstracts

Creating an Environment Where Everyone Can Learn: Addressing Bullying and Harassment in Our Schools
Kids can't learn if they don't feel safe and secure. Period. It's that simple. In his remarks, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education Kevin Jennings, who heads the federal Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, will focus on bullying and harassment as education issues that detract from a student's ability to focus on learning and will discuss how to create truly safe schools – ones where every student feels like they belong, where every student feels secure, and where every student feels valued.
Introduction by: Congressman Jared Polis 2nd District of Colorado
Presenter: Kevin Jennings, Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
Presentation slides: PPT | PDF

Adams County School Crisis Response Plan – Kickoff and Call to Action
In 2009, Adams County Sheriff Doug Darr convened a committee of practitioners from schools, law enforcement, and the fire service to review and update the Adams County School Crisis Response Plan. This presentation will provide an overview of the plan and its development and a call to action for its countywide use.
Presenter: Adams County Sheriff Douglas Darr

Standard Response Protocol: The Classroom Response to an Incident at School
A critical ingredient in the safe school recipe is the classroom response to an incident at school. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by school and district administration. Student safety also transcends the classroom and extends socially as well. In 2009, The "I Love U Guys" Foundation introduced The Standard Response Protocol (SRP). It's anticipated that September 2010 will see over 500 Colorado schools, and hundreds more across the country, implementing the SRP.
Presenter: John-Michael Keyes, I Love U Guys Foundation

Rachel's Challenge-Start a Chain Reaction!
Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, but her shining example of love and acceptance was not defeated that day. Her acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life changing programs in America, Rachel's Challenge. Rachel's Challenge is the largest school assembly program in America. It is designed to help school administrators, parents, and students create safer and more productive places to learn and achieve. The goal is to motivate and equip students and administrators to embrace new values of kindness and compassion so that no one is left behind because of fear and violence in their school. Rachel's Challenge is impacting lives all across America, as well as in Canada, Australia, Bermuda, and several other countries.
Presenter: Darrell Scott, Founder and President, Rachel's Challenge

How Communities Can Partner to Create Safe, Supportive, and Academically Successful Schools
This keynote will focus on the importance of building strong conditions for learning, which include safety and support, in order to promote academic achievement. The presentation will also highlight and provide examples of the important role that community partnerships and family engagement play in improving school climate and academic outcomes.
Presenter: David Osher, Ph.D., Vice President, American Institutes for Research
Presentation slides: PPT | PDF

Brains and Brawn: The Neuroscience of Violent Youth Behavior
This presentation dispels the longstanding belief that adolescence is a dangerous time of "storm and stress" plagued by a "problem-behavior syndrome." Breakthrough research in adolescent brain, spiritual, and identity development offers a more complete view of "what's going on with kids." Our challenge is to use it in practical ways to allow the school safety and non-violence that youth of the Millennial Generation are ready to make happen. This address explains how to shift from trying to control behavior to supporting innate potentials to rise above lower impulses and live in peaceful ways that help others. Are non-violent schools really possible? This address will make the case that they are. The key to it is not merely what we do to/with kids, but how we see them and how we adults conduct our own lives.
Presenter: Jonathan Cloud, President, JVD Consulting
Presentation slides: PPT | PDF
Conference Action Guide: DOC | PDF

Don't Leave, This is Where We Put It All Together: Making a Difference in Your School and Community
"Never doubt that a small group of dedicated and committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead). All community stakeholders have the responsibility to see that our kids are safe and successful. When this happens, we all win. In his remarks, 17th Judicial District Attorney Don Quick will describe the Adams County Youth Initiative’s approach to working together to accomplish common school safety and violence prevention goals. He will close the conference with concrete action steps that schools and communities can take to make a difference.
Presenter: Don Quick, District Attorney, 17th Judicial District
Presentation slides: PPT | PDF