SUNY Oswego faculty expert to lead school safety discussion

"We Need To Talk About School Safety: A Conversation Based on Lessons Learned at The Briefings," taking place Tuesday, Nov. 7, at SUNY Oswego will feature a faculty expert sharing information from a recent national symposium. 

The event in Marano Campus Center auditorium (Room 132) is free and open to the public, and will begin at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 3:45.

Jaclyn Schildkraut -- a SUNY Oswego public justice faculty member, published author and recognized expert on the topic of school shootings -- attended The Briefings, organized by the "I Love U Guys" Foundation, at Columbine High School in July. The event united members of law enforcement, victims' advocates, education and security communities for a continued discussion on school safety and preparedness. The symposium featured a number of presenters with first-hand knowledge of school and mass shootings, including responding police and SWAT officers and survivors.

As part of her continuing education in her research area, Schildkraut traveled to Littleton, Colorado, to attend the symposium, which also featured Frank DeAngelis, Columbine's former principal and a previous presenter at SUNY Oswego with Virginia Tech shooting survivor Kristina Anderson.

"There were so many great lessons that were shared as part of The Briefings," Schildkraut said.  "Many of these are applicable not only to law enforcement, but also educators, students and other members of the Oswego community. My goal in this discussion is to help others understand how we can learn from past tragedies and incorporate simple proactive strategies into our everyday lives to both individually and collectively improve safety."

The "I Love U Guys" Foundation was started by John-Michael Keyes after his daughter Emily was killed at Platte-Canyon High School in 2006. The foundation has since created the Standard Response Protocol, used at schools nationwide for emergency response procedures. The toolkits, aimed at varying education levels, are available for free through the foundation's website. Keyes will present at SUNY Oswego on March 28, 2018, as a part of the ongoing spring school safety series organized by Schildkraut.

"This (November) talk is designed to get people starting to think about school safety and our roles within its promotion," Schildkraut added. "It is a great forum to spark the dialogue that John-Michael will continue when he visits in March."

For more information or for those requiring accommodations to attend the event, contact Schildkraut at 315-312-3403 or jaclyn.schildkraut@oswego.edu.