Welcome to spring, and we are preparing for an exciting season of collaboration and learning! I am thrilled to invite you to the RISE Back to School Safety Summit, happening July 28-30, 2025, in Statesville, N.C. — SAVE THE DATE. This event is a must for educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement and youth-serving agencies dedicated to fostering safer school environments.
Registration is now open, and if you’re interested in sponsoring or presenting, be sure to check out the links provided!
In addition to RISE, we are expanding our Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) to strengthen school safety initiatives across the state. Check back on our social media for specific dates and times.
This month, we are also addressing bullying and cyberbullying, significant challenges that impact students’ well-being and safety. Remember, anyone — even bystanders — can use the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SSARS) to report concerns. SSARS is available 24/7/365 to ensure students have a voice and a way of seeking help.
Check out our April YouTube video for more insights on these important topics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media for updates. I look forward to welcoming you to RISE as we work together to ensure safer schools for everyone!
— Karen W. Fairley
The Center for Safer Schools is looking for one middle school from Eastern North Carolina and one from Western North Carolina to apply for the SHINE 2025-2026 Cohort. Also, the CFSS is looking for one Eastern and one Western high school to apply for the SEED 2025-2026 Cohort.
Both cohorts will begin in August 2025 and are expected to be completed by July 2026.
The maximum number of middle school and high school participants from each region is 15.
Students will take part in activities that will develop leadership skills, aid them in understanding healthy relationships and boundaries, provide them the basics of how to engage safely with social media and the internet, show how to make good decisions, realize the importance of community engagement and understand that students are an intricate part of school safety.
Middle and high schools in the North Central, Northeast, Southeast and Sandhills regions may apply to represent Eastern North Carolina. Middle and high schools in the Piedmont-Triad, Northwest, Southwest and Western regions may apply to represent Western North Carolina.
- Click here to apply for the SHINE 2025-2026 Cohort.
- Click here to apply for the SEED 2025-2026 Cohort.
Applications are due Wednesday, April 30 by 5:00 p.m. For more information, send an email to CFSS Student Engagement Manager Chelsea King.
The Center for Safer Schools wants to congratulate Keith King, Director of Safety and Security at Granville County Public Schools, on being named one of 12 finalists for 2025 Campus Safety Director of the Year by Campus Safety magazine.
Now in its 18th year, the Director of the Year program honors the best and brightest executives in hospital, university and school security, law enforcement and emergency management.
Click here for more information about King. Winners of this year’s Director of the Year award will be announced during the National Campus Safety Conference in Austin, Texas, from July 21-23.
The 2025 National SAVE Promise Club Youth Summit will be held Saturday, April 26 in Philadelphia. This year’s theme is “Pave the Way.”
Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Club is the youth leadership initiative of Sandy Hook Promise. The annual gathering of SAVE Promise Club youth leaders showcases best practices in preventing violence and helping young people feel connected. The summit is a time for youth voices to be heard in workshops and activities that encourage, educate, engage and empower youth with violence prevention strategies.
Click here for more information and here to register for the SAVE Summit Livestream.