WHAT ARE SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS?​

School safety grants are designed to bolster school security, improve wellness and mental health services in schools, and create a healthier learning environment. The Greenlights Grant Initiative focuses on the grants included in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

This page includes federal school safety grants school districts nationwide can apply for. Applications for many of these grants are expected to open over the next year, but are currently closed. We encourage you to start preparing now for future grant applications. We have included this grant information so you can familiarize yourself with the school safety grants we expect will be available next year. We will update the grant information as the agencies release forecasted dates for the release and actual dates.

Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services

Project AWARE

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Solicitation Issue Date: Expected February
2024 Deadline: Expected April 2024

AWARE stands for Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education. The Project AWARE program builds or expands the capacity of State Educational Agencies (SEA), in partnership with State Mental Health Agencies (SMHAs) overseeing school-aged youth. By building or expanding capacity, the program advances wellness and resiliency in education by increasing mental health awareness in schools across states, territories, and tribal communities.
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Department-of-Health-and-Human-Services

Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Solicitation Issue Date: March 2024
Deadline: Expected May 2024

The MHAT grant program prepares and trains individuals to appropriately and safely respond to persons with mental health challenges and or disorders, particularly those with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or serious emotional disturbances (SED). MHAT-awarded grantees are with varied community non-profit agencies, school districts, colleges/universities, and hospital systems, among others.
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Department-of-Justice

Bureau Of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Program

Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance

Solicitation Issue Date: Expected March 2024
Deadline: Expected May 2024

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks applications for funding to support and assist county, local, territorial, and tribal jurisdictions in improving efforts to reduce violent crime in and around schools.
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Department-of-Justice

COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program

Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance

Solicitation Issue Date: Expected March 2024
Deadline: Expected May 2024

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is a competitive award program that aims to improve security at schools and on school grounds through the implementation of evidence-based school safety programs and technology.
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DOJ

OJJDP FY Enhancing School Capacity To Address Youth Violence

Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance

Solicitation Issue Date: Expected March 2024
Deadline: Expected May 2024

OJJDP seeks to support targeted efforts to address youth violence through implementing evidence-based prevention and intervention efforts in a school-based setting (K–12th grade only).
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Department-of-Education

21st Centry Learning Centers

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Solicitation Issue Date: Dependent on State Education Agency Announcement
Deadline: Dependent on State Education Agency Announcement

This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.
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Department-of-Education

Stronger Connections Grant Program

Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development

Solicitation Issue Date: Dependent on State Education Agency Announcement
Deadline: Dependent on State Education Agency Announcement

The Stronger Connections grants will help schools provide all students with safe and supportive learning opportunities and environments that are critical for their success.
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Department-of-Education

School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) Grant Program

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Solicitation Issue Date: Contingent on Appropriations
Deadline: Contingent on Appropriations

The SBMH grant program is aimed at providing competitive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and consortia of LEAs to increase the number of credentialed mental health services providers providing school-based mental health services to students in LEAs with demonstrated need.
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Department-of-Education

Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Solicitation Issue Date: Contingent on Appropriations
Deadline: Contingent on Appropriations

This provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health service providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs).
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These grants support the development and implementation of programs to bolster mental health services and awareness in schools to create more successful learning environments  and decrease youth violence.

These grants improve safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts, provide training to school personnel and students, and implement evidence-based threat assessments to make schools safer.

These grants provide all students with safe and supportive learning opportunities and environments. They improve access to mental health services that are critical for students’ safety, health, and success.

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Does your school district need additional assistance for the grant writing process to keep your students safe and healthy?

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