Mayor Bowser Awards $10M to Community-Based Organizations to Keep Students Safe as They Travel To and From School

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) announced four community-based organizations have been awarded $10 million for the Fiscal Year 2025 Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program. The Safe Passage program supports students as they travel to and from school.

“The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program goes hand in hand with our work to ensure students are in school every day, on time,” said Mayor Bowser. “When students feel safe on their commutes to school, we know they are more likely to show up and be successful, so we’re grateful to the Safe Passage teams who are helping our students succeed.” 

The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program provides monitoring and impactful engagement services to more than 122 pre-designated routes and Metro stops within 12 priority areas: Anacostia, Brookland, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, Eastern/Stadium Armory, Fort Totten, L’Enfant Plaza, Minnesota Avenue, NoMa, Petworth/Brightwood, Potomac Avenue, and Tenleytown. 

The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program consists of several components, including:

  • Overseeing student commute routes within designated priority areas.
  • Collaborating with schools, District agency staff, other Safe Passage teams, and the local community to identify, intervene, de-escalate, and report incidents of community violence.
  • Promoting consistent attendance by encouraging students to attend classes daily and on time.
  • Engaging with students, families, businesses, civic associations, institutional facilities, and community members in the priority areas to foster support for the Safe Passage program.
  • Ensuring staff suitability and active participation in all training and technical assistance programs.
  • Gathering and analyzing program data to identify trends and ensure effective program implementation.

The grantees and priority area assignments for Fiscal Year 2025: 

 

Organization

Safe Passage Priority Area

Center for Nonprofit Advancement

Brookland (Ward 5)

Eastern/Stadium Armory (Ward 6)

L’Enfant Plaza (Ward 6)

NoMa (Ward 5)

Collaborative Solutions for Communities

Columbia Heights (Wards 1 and 4)

Congress Heights (Ward 8)

Fort Totten (Ward 4)

Tenleytown (Ward 3)

Petworth/Brightwood (Ward 4)

Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative

Minnesota Avenue (Ward 7)

National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens

Anacostia (Ward 8)

Potomac Avenue (Ward 6)

“As we work to build safer, stronger neighborhoods, our ambassadors play a vital role as trusted adults for our students,” said Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah. “Safe Passage Ambassadors serve as our eyes and ears in the community, fostering relationships, supporting our youth, and ensuring that our students get to and from school safely.” 
 
Residents and students can spot Safe Passage Ambassadors throughout the community by their recognizable green vests.

For more information, visit safepassage.dc.gov.

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Last updated: 11:13 AM EST November 13, 2024