Safe Path Program
About the Program
The Safe Path Program aims to increase community safety by providing a positive, trusted adult presence for students as they travel to and from school and connecting this network of adults with existing violence intervention efforts.
Working collaboratively with the Philadelphia School District, the Penn Injury Science Center will build upon these efforts by…
Increasing participation from local community organizations
Training participants in trauma-informed care and evidence-based violence prevention
Improving access to referral programs
Organizing meetings with local violence intervention programs
What is Safe Path?
Safe Path monitors help children get to and from school safely. Monitors are present around schools at the start and end of the school day to support students, offer mentorship, diffuse arguments, and more. Monitors are trained for this position for trauma-informed care and evidence-based violence prevention. The program is modeled after the Safe Passage Program which started in Chicago and resulted in a 14% decrease in violence after Chicago schools implemented the program. The Penn Injury Science Center is working with the School District of Philadelphia to expand the program to 12 additional schools, after receiving funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
Hear more about the program, from NPR
This work at the Penn Injury Science Center is led by Dr. Bernadette Hohl and funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
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