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Reimagining School Safety
Dear New Yorkers:
This week, Mayor Adams and I were excited to announce the launch of Project Pivot, a new school safety initiative that gives students more academic and social-emotional support to make sure they have a clear path to the future they see ahead for themselves.
Nothing is more important than keeping your children safe and supported in our classrooms and schools. We know it’s your number-one concern, and there’s nothing more important to me.
We’ve invested $9 million in Project Pivot, and we’re excited to roll it out in 138 schools, which were selected based on school-culture factors such as attendance, discipline rates, and neighborhood safety.
In partnership with respected national and local community-based organizations, Project Pivot will offer these school services:
- Safety and violence prevention,
- Student leadership and career readiness,
- Student counseling and mentoring, and
- Enrichment programs through sports, recreational activities, the arts, and more.
Our goal is to engage students at a deep and personal level. For example, Project Pivot staff will work directly with young folks, using engagement strategies that have been shown to spur positive, long-term change.
These include offering social-emotional support, teaching violence-interruption techniques, and creating safe corridors to assist in keeping students safe to and from school. Our partners will also provide meaningful extended-learning opportunities to ensure students feel safe, supported, and empowered in their communities. These activities will be aligned with the five pillars of Project Pivot: purpose, integrity, voice, optimism, and tenacity.
This program will reach students at a pivotal point in their development, and I truly believe it will be a game-changer for them. I see this as a critical step in building strong connections between our kids and their school communities—and improving campus climate and culture, and classroom success.
I also believe that when we give young people the support, guidance, and nurturing they need, we put them on the pathway to a rewarding career. And we help get our students ready for what we all want them to do after graduation—chase their dreams.
Soaring high,
Chancellor David C. Banks