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Mayor Bowser Awards $8.5M to Community-Based Organizations to Keep Kids 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 that four community-based organizations will receive a total of $8.5 million for the Fiscal Year 2024 Safe Passage, Safe Blocks Program. The program supports students living in high-priority areas with commuting to school safely and getting to class daily and on time.
“Our young people deserve to feel safe and supported, and that includes before, during, and after school. Our Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program is part of our commitment to youth safety,” said Mayor Bowser. “This investment supports students in commuting to school safely, getting to school on time, and being set up for success for the future.”
The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program, now part of the DMPSJ portfolio, provides student monitoring and impactful engagement services to 48 designated schools and one Metro Station within eight priority areas: Anacostia/Good Hope Road, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station, Eastern High School, Minnesota Avenue, NoMa-Gallaudet U, Petworth/Brightwood, and Tenleytown.
Collectively, approximately $8.5 million is being awarded to four community-based organizations for program components which include:
- Monitoring student commute routes within the assigned to priority areas.
- Working collaboratively with schools, relevant District agency staff, other Safe Passage teams, and the surrounding community to identify, intervene, diffuse, and report community violence.
- Supporting attendance by encouraging students to attend class daily and on time.
- Positively engaging students, families, businesses, civic associations, institutional facilities, and community members within the priority area to build support for the Safe Passage program.
- Ensuring staff suitability and participation in all training and technical assistance.
- Collecting and analyzing program data to identify trends and ensure proper program implementation.
The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program grantees for FY24 include:
Organization | Safe Passage Priority Area |
|---|---|
Center for Nonprofit Advancement | L’Enfant Plaza (Ward 6) Eastern High School (Ward 7) |
Collaborative Solutions for Communities (CSC) | Columbia Heights (Wards 1 and 4) Tenleytown (Ward 3) Petworth-Brightwood (Ward 4) NoMa-Gallaudet U (Wards 5 and 6) Congress Heights (Ward 8) |
InnerCity Collaborative Community Development Corporation (InnerCity) | Minnesota Avenue (Ward 7) |
National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens (NAARC) | Anacostia (Ward 8) |
“Ensuring students can get to and from school safely is the number one priority for the Safe Passage program,” said the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah. “This program is critical to fortifying the safety network for our students, ensuring a secure path to education and development."
Residents can spot Safe Passage Ambassadors throughout the community stationed in priority areas wearing their recognizable green vests.
For more information, visit safepassage.dc.gov.
Social Media:
Mayor Bowser Twitter: @MayorBowser
Mayor Bowser Instagram: @Mayor_Bowser
Mayor Bowser Facebook: facebook.com/MayorMurielBowser
Mayor Bowser YouTube: https://www.bit.ly/eomvideos
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Last updated: 11:24 AM EDT October 5, 2023