Press Room
ESD 112 receives grant to step up prevention services for Cowlitz County youth and families
Educational Service District 112 has been notified that it is the recipient of a federal grant to fund a sweeping childhood prevention program. The grant will focus on healthy childhood development while averting violence, alcohol and other drug abuse for children and families in Cowlitz County.
The Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Grant will provide $1,421,284 each year for the next four years. The cooperative effort includes several partnering agencies throughout the county, including school districts, the health department, human services, public mental health, juvenile justice and local law enforcement. ESD 112 was one of 27 organizations throughout the nation to receive the grant, but the only agency to receive the funds in the state of Washington.
While ESD 112 will serve as the lead agency in administering the grant, officials are quick to point out that the endeavor is highly collaborative and guided by the efforts of several knowledgeable and experienced community partners. "We are pleased to be a partnering agency in this project and we look forward to engaging in the work ahead. We know this is a very significant and meaningful opportunity for all of us working with children in Cowlitz County," said ESD 112 Superintendent Dr. Twyla Barnes.
Sandy Mathewson, ESD 112 Director of Prevention and Intervention Services, will serve as the SS/HS project lead. "The opportunity to work with such great community partners certainly stands out as a highlight of the project," she said. "It's through their expertise that we'll be able to enhance resources, create opportunities and offer services for children and families in Cowlitz County."
Mathewson said the plan will focus on five elements:
* Safe school environments and violence prevention activities.
* Alcohol and other drug prevention activities.
* Student behavioral, social, and emotional supports.
* Mental health services.
* Early childhood social and emotional learning programs.
"Our goal is to provide schools, students and families with a network of valuable services. We will make every effort to offer the support they need and facilitate a variety of activities that promote positive and healthy living," she said.
Part of the broader effort is to help develop an infrastructure that sustains the program components long after the federal funding has ended. While the SS/HS Initiative draws on the best practices of education, justice, social services, and mental health systems, the ultimate goal is clear: "We want schools and communities that are safe, disciplined, and drug-free. Funding this grant is a big step toward accomplishing that goal in Cowlitz County," said Mathewson.
Mark Hottowe, Executive Director of Student Services and Human Resources for the Kelso School District, said the grant is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with administrators from other county organizations whose work will be significant in making the project successful. "We're all really excited about the healthy programs that will be developed as a result of the grant resources," he said.