This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program provides information on earthquake safety and the Great ShakeOut Drill on October 15th, and also shares resources for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Please note, we are in the process of updating our contacts list. If you believe you have been added by mistake or wish to no longer receive our emails, just let me know and I will remove you from our directory.

Respectfully,

Laura Black
Program Coordinator
Illinois School and Campus Safety Program
Earthquake Preparedness and the October 15th Great Central U.S. ShakeOut

Whether districts are doing in-person or remote learning, or even a combination thereof, it is important to practice earthquake drills and promote earthquake preparedness and safety. One way to accomplish this is to take part in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Drill on October 15th. ShakeOut.org also shares a variety of resources for K-12 schools/districts and institutions of higher education, and has added resources for participating in the Great ShakeOut during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. Geological Survey's website is a valuable resource for learning about earthquakes, and includes an education section with links to resources for kids. Additionally, among the many resources on the website (and specific to our area) is the document Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your Handbook for the Central United States. The handbook includes information on why you should care; why you should prepare; earthquake safety steps to take before, during, and after a quake; and creating a financial disaster recovery kit so you have copies of essential documents in case a disaster occurs.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. With many K-12 schools and institutions of higher education utilizing online resources due to the pandemic, cybersecurity is important for both the continuation of learning and the safety of private and operations information. The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, which was created in 2018, provides tip sheets, social media posts and graphics, and other resources for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, along with other cybersecurity resources.

Additionally, the Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center website added pages for K-12 and Higher Ed cybersecurity earlier this year to address cybersecurity topics like data security, identity authentication, privacy, and data destruction. The pages feature resources from organizations including the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center.
Illinois School and Campus Safety Program www.ilschoolsafety.org