This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program links to resources for severe weather preparedness, shares information on the 3rd Annual Together for Youth Summit and the 2026 IJOA & IDOA Annual State Conference, and promotes the upcoming classes on Effective Communication Principles, Standard Reunification Method - Reunification Exercise, Cybersecurity in Education, Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness, Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities, Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates, Campus Threat Assessment and Management, and Preventing Targeted Violence Through Leakage and Cyber Investigations.

Thank you for your interest in school and campus safety. However, if you wish to no longer receive our emails, let me know and I will remove you from our contacts list.

Respectfully,

Laura Black

le-black@wiu.edu

Program Coordinator

Illinois School and Campus Safety Program

Severe Weather Preparedness Month

March is Severe Weather Preparedness Month. From snow and ice to tornadoes and flooding, Spring can bring a variety of severe weather events. The Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center includes a page of Severe Weather resources for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

Last Chance to Register!

Cybersecurity in Education: Risk Assessment, Mitigation, and Management on March 31st via Zoom

This is the last chance to register for the Cybersecurity in Education: Risk Assessment, Mitigation, and Management class on March 31st via Zoom.

The impact of cyberattacks extends beyond major corporations, including educational institutions like schools, districts, and campuses that may not realize they are susceptible to these attacks. Are your teams prepared to navigate a cyber threat? Utilizing key principles of Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA), participants will explore the ever-evolving cyber threat landscape and its implications for school and campus safety. The session will delve into identifying and mitigating cyber threats, understanding the current cyber threat landscape, implementing effective risk assessment strategies, and developing effective incident response plans. Through this training, participants will gain the knowledge and tools necessary to proactively prevent, assess, and respond to a wide range of digital and cyber-related challenges, ensuring a safer and more secure learning environment for all.

 For more information and to register, click here.

Last Chance to Register!

It IS Your Business: Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness for K-12 School and Institutions of Higher Education on April 2nd in Macomb

This is the last chance to register for the "It IS Your Business": Grooming and Sexual Assault Awareness for K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education class April 2, 2026, in Macomb, IL.

"It IS Your Business" engages participants in learning about grooming and sexual assault so they have the knowledge to recognize behaviors and intervene when a situation may be arising. At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

• identify grooming as it is outlined in Faith's and Erin’s Law that now mandates training for all schools on such behaviors
• understand the co-occurring nature of interpersonal violence crimes (i.e., sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence)
• understand the elements of Title IX as it pertains to both K-12 schools and higher education
• compare normal mentoring behaviors with classic predatory behaviors and recognize the difference between the two interactions
• apply the knowledge they now have on grooming to implement better and more clear policies and procedures on the boundaries of professional conduct
• evaluate situations where professional boundaries may have been crossed and feel more confident in their decisions to intervene with employees or students, as well as feel better prepared on how to support survivors

 For more information and to register, click here.

There's Still Time to Register!

Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities on April 7th via Zoom

There's still time to register for the Trauma-Informed Safe and Caring School Communities class on April 7th via Zoom.

Trauma-informed practices help create environments where the brain is able to learn rather than existing in a state of hyperarousal. By understanding trauma and its effects, school staff can respond to challenging behavior in a way that supports the students, families, and staff alike.

 For more information and to register, click here.

3rd Annual Together For Youth Summit

The 3rd Annual Together for Your Summit is being held March 31st-April 1st in Carterville, IL. The summit features multiple breakout options during each session block, including information on youth substance use prevention, prevention advocacy, human trafficking, youth homelessness, and more.

For more information and to register, click here.

Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates Classes

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce upcoming sessions of the monthly 2-hr Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates class from 9am-11am via Zoom on April 23rd, May 27, and June 25th.

The monthly Current Online Behavioral Trends and Updates sessions complement Safer Schools Together’s Digital Threat Assessment® training. These monthly sessions have been developed out of a need to continue to keep school safety and threat assessment teams informed so that they are able to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. Staying up to date with the current digital landscape will help teams build capacity and sustainability within your community. Each monthly session will review the most current trends in social media, with updated information each month!

For more information and to register, click here.

Campus Threat Assessment and Management

April 20-21st in Chicago, May 12-13 in Charleston, and May 18-19 in Moline

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce multiple sessions of the Campus Threat Assessment and Management class: April 20-21 in Chicago, May 12-13 in Charleston, and May 18-19 in Moline.

This two-day workshop for institutions of higher education and their safety stakeholders will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with concerning situations.

For more information and to register, click the corresponding date below.

April 20-21 in Chicago

May 12-13 in Charleston

May 18-19 in Moline

Preventing Targeted Violence Through Leakage and Cyber Investigations April 27-28th in McHenry

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Preventing Targeted Violence Through Leakage and Cyber Investigations class will be held April 27-28, 2026, in McHenry, IL. Class objectives include:

• Why it is important NOT to disregard information given to LEO or school officials.
• What the term "Leakage" means and how we can interpret the information.
• Learn free and open source online investigative tools into social networks and App generated phone numbers.
• Learn to identify and collect cyber evidence to identify suspects.
• Learn the three-step process in investigating internet crimes.
• Learn the importance of Preservation, Exigent Circumstances, and Search Warrants.
• Learn how to obtain IP's, screen names, screen captures, and email headers.
• State laws: Terrorist Threat, Falsely Making a Terrorist Threat, Swatting, and Causing a Catastrophe.
• Suspect search warrant, arrest, interrogation, and mental health evaluation.
• Examine a successful cyber-crime case study investigation from start to finish.

For more information and to register, click here.

Standard Reunification Method - Reunification Execise (SRM-REX) April 29-30th in Wheeling

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Standard Reunification Method - Reunification Exercise (SRM-REx) class will be held April 29-20, 2026, in Wheeling, IL.

The I Love U Guys Foundation’s Standard Reunification Method - Reunification Exercise (SRM-REx) training is intended to prepare participants to handle, organize, and reunite individuals who have experienced an emergent event regardless of the cause. Attendees will be taught the concepts contained in the SRM during the training conducted on Day One and perform several reunifications during the exercise on Day Two. After completing both days, the organization's reunification team will be equipped to develop organization-specific reunification plans and training events.

For more information and to register, click here.

Effective Communication Principles on June 5th in Macomb

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Effective Communication Principles Before, During, and After Critical Incidents class will be held June 5, 2026, in Macomb, IL.

This training provides attendees comprehensive education on the subject of communications. Throughout the training, attendees will learn about the importance of building relationships with the media and the community through routine communications. The training will also provide guidance on how to prepare for a crisis communications event and what to do should that day happen. Finally, instruction will wrap up with discussion on how to effectively communicate after a critical incident.

 For more information and to register, click here.

2026 Illinois Juvenile Officers Association & Illinois DARE Officers Association Annual State Conference June 3-5th

The Illinois Juvenile Officers Association & Illinois DARE Officers Association Annual State Conference is being held June 3-5th in Normal, IL.

This year’s conference features practical training designed for law enforcement professionals, social workers, DCFS personnel, prosecutors, and multidisciplinary partners. Session topics include legal updates, child protection practices, open-source investigations, youth mental health, online exploitation, school safety, and emerging issues impacting juvenile justice and child-serving systems. The conference also provides opportunities for networking, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary learning with professionals from across Illinois.

For more information and to register, click here.