Spring School Safety Symposium to discuss preparedness

SUNY Oswego's Spring School Safety Symposium on Wednesday, March 28, will feature John-Michael Keyes, founder of the "I Love U Guys" foundation and the Standard Response Protocol, to discuss the question, "How do we keep our students, faculty and staff safe?"

The event, starting at 5 p.m. that day in Room 101 of Lanigan Hall, is free and open to the public.

More than 50 million students enroll in K-12 schools each year, with an additional 20.5 million students attending colleges and universities across America. The school shooting headlines serve as a reminder that this can happen anywhere, said event coordinator Jaclyn Schildkraut, a public justice faculty member and internationally recognized expert on the topic.

"As a former resident of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School community, this latest tragedy only further reinforces my commitment to keeping our community safe so that it doesn't suffer the same fate as where I grew up," Schildkraut said.

“Coupled with my professional expertise, I believe it is important to keep the dialogue about school safety at the forefront, and John-Michael Keyes is an excellent follow-up to (Columbine principal) Frank DeAngelis and (Virginia Tech shooting survivor) Kristina Anderson's event last year," Schildkraut added. "If there is anything I hope that our guests take away, it is that it can happen here -- it can happen anywhere. That said, there are ample opportunities to prevent these tragedies, and that is why these discussions matter."

Keyes speaks of school safety with a personal connection, as his daughter Emily was fatally shot in 2006 after an hours-long hostage situation. Out of that tragedy, he created the foundation and protocols to try to reduce further losses. The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) was created and has been continually refined over the years under the idea that different situations require different actions -- such as a lockdown, lockout, shelter in place or evacuation, Schildkraut said.

"John-Michael travels nationwide not only speaking about these events, but also offering 'train the trainer' sessions designed to get more people familiar with the SRP so they can implement it in their communities," Schildkraut explained.

His presentation includes reminders of the importance of school safety, with the recognition that no school is immune, and offers free resources available to districts, departments, agencies and organizations.

Keyes also will offer an on-campus training Thursday, March 29; pre-registration is required and available through emailing jaclyn.schildkraut@oswego.edu.

The David F. Cutler '74 Public Justice Excellence Fund, as well as the SUNY Oswego College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Education, and additional departments and offices, team up to sponsor the event.

Light refreshments will be served, and parking will be free that evening for attendees.

For more information or for persons with disabilities seeking accommodations to attend, contact Schildkraut at 315-312-3403 or jaclyn.schildkraut@oswego.edu.