When it comes to school safety, having trusted information is only part of the equation. Schools also need practical ways to get that information into the hands of students, families and communities.
What is Safety Study Hall, and why is it an important resource for schools and families?
Safety Study Hall is a resource created by the Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with OSPI and other organizations, to help schools share health, safety and prevention information with their communities.
It brings important resources together in one place, including information on overdose prevention and response and the secure storage of medications, firearms and ammunition. Having clear, accurate information on these topics can help families understand risks, know what to do in an emergency and take steps to keep their communities safer.
What communications need were you hoping to address with this toolkit?
Washington state law (RCW 28A.320.292) requires public school districts to make Safety Study Hall information available to their communities through communications such as websites, newsletters and social media at least twice each school year.
We wanted to make that process easier for the people managing school and district communications. School communications teams are balancing many priorities, and finding visuals, writing captions and ensuring information is accurate and accessible takes time.
Our partners at the Prevent Coalition also saw an opportunity to dig deeper into the safety and prevention topics covered by Safety Study Hall and make that information easier for communities to access and understand.
How can a ready-to-use toolkit make a difference for school communications teams?
It saves time and resources.
Communications teams don’t have to start from scratch every time they need to share an important prevention message.
Expert-Reviewed Safety Resources for Schools
It gives schools access to information that has been carefully developed and reviewed by subject-matter experts. For topics like overdose prevention and secure storage, it’s especially important that information is accurate, clear and actionable.
What can school districts find in the new toolkit?
We created a dedicated webpage where all of the materials are available in one place. The toolkit includes eight social media graphics focused on different Safety Study Hall topics, along with ready-to-use captions.
The graphics also include alternative text to meet accessibility requirements for people using screen readers and other assistive technologies.
In addition, districts will find ready-to-use blurbs for newsletters and other communications, along with information about the state requirements and RCW to help clarify their responsibilities.
Start using the toolkit today!
We hope districts, schools and prevention partners will use these materials throughout the school year to share important information with their communities.
