Safe and Drug-Free Schools Grant
Governor’s Portion of the federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Program (SDFSC) -
At this time, for the July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008 program year, there are no new funds available for new programs.
The purpose of these funds is to prevent or reduce youth violence and substance abuse, or their precursors. The focus is on community-based programs who demonstrate effective outcomes for prevention or reduction of substance abuse and/or violence among youth. Vermont has focused its efforts on funding mentoring programs and youth initiated grants councils.
For the program year, July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007, we are funding 6 Mentoring programs and 11 Youth Initiated Grants Councils.
Youth Initiated Grants Councils (YIGC) – are regional councils made up of youth and adult advisors who award grants to other youth for substance abuse and violence prevention activities. Youth develop valuable grant making and leadership skills while actively involved in their communities. Contact your local YIGC for an application to serve on a local council or find funding for youth-led projects that prevent or reduce youth violence and substance abuse.
Priority is given to SDFSC applicants that demonstrate:
- How their group’s work will impact children and youth who are not normally served by educational agencies or youth that need special services or additional resources such as preschoolers, youth in juvenile detention facilities, runaway/homeless youth, pregnant/parenting teens, and youth who have dropped out of school;
- What specific skills, knowledge and attitudes that will be gained by the project and how the new skills, knowledge, and attitudes will affect their project’s capacity to impact substance abuse and violence related outcomes for youth not normally served by educational agencies or youth that need special services or additional resources such as preschoolers, youth in juvenile detention facilities, runaway/homeless youth, pregnant/parenting teens, and youth who have dropped out of school;
All SDFSC Program funded activities must be consistent with the “Principles of Effectiveness”, which include the requirement that they are consistent with scientific evidence of effectiveness in preventing or reducing youth violence or substance abuse, or that they are evaluated for such effectiveness. Mentoring for youth – adult to youth - (the Big Brothers/Big Sisters model) and Positive Youth Development have been determined to be two of these effective strategies. And, the proposal must be based on a thorough assessment of objective data about drug and violence in the schools and communities served.
For more information about SDFSC funds or the Mentoring or YIGC programs funded, please contact:
Cassie Isabelle
Grants Manager
VT Dept for Children and Families
304 Osgood, 103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2401
Phone: 802-241-1436
Email: cassie.isabelle@ahs.state.vt.us