This Week in School and Campus Safety

Good morning,

This Weekly Update by the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program remembers 9/11, shares information on the Illinois School Safety Conference and the Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference, provides a final opportunity to register for the Sept. 18-19th and Sept. 23rd classes, and promotes the additional upcoming classes.

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

Remembering 9/11

9/11 was (and remains) a seminal event in history. People can recount exactly where they were and what they were doing when the world changed. For me, twenty-four years ago today I was sitting on my bed doing homework for my first semester of college when the phone rang. My mother was calling from work telling me to turn on the TV because customers had just come in saying there had been a terrible accident. I ran downstairs, turned on the TV, and saw that an airplane had hit one of the towers. As I was watching, the second tower was hit. In that moment we knew it wasn't an accident.

There has been an unfathomable, heartbreaking number of tragic seminal events in K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education as well. Far too many people can reflect on where they were and what they were doing when their world was turned upside down by a school shooting. Yesterday there were two more.

How do we go on after tragedy? We honor the heroes and the fallen. We provide support for the victims and the survivors. We work towards preventing such events in the future. And we do so collectively. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost on 9/11 and a countless number were forever changed. Today, 24 years later, we continue to remember, to mourn, and to honor.

6 Spots Left!

Threat Assessment Team Training Sept. 18-19th in Frankfort

There are 6 spots left in the Threat Assessment Team Training class Sept. 18-19th in Frankfort, IL.

This comprehensive 2-day K-12 training on multidisciplinary, community-based threat assessment teams provides a history and background of threat assessment, targeted violence, threat assessment research, risk factors, and behavioral indicators of those who are intending to commit targeted violence against others. It also provides training on the concept and advantages of a community-based, multidisciplinary threat assessment system, team dynamics, threat assessment process, and management principles.

For more information and to register, click here.

Last Chance to Register!

Site Safety Security Assessment September 23rd in Glenview

This is the last chance to register for the Site Safety Security Assessment class on September 23, 2025, in Glenview, IL. The training provides awareness resources and preparedness training to enhance organizational capacity to conduct multidisciplinary site assessments. The process of conducting a school site safety security assessment creates opportunities to reduce or eliminate potential hazards and develop recommendations for improvement.

For more information and to register, click here.

There's Still Time to Register!

Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting September 29-30th in Addison

There's still time to register for the Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management in a School Setting class September 29-30th in Addison, IL.

This two-day training through Deisinger Consulting, LLC, in collaboration with SOS Global Consulting, will help participants to better understand the dynamics of targeted violence and to develop and enhance strategies for early identification, assessment, and intervention with threatening and concerning behaviors.

For more information and to register, click here.

Campus Threat Assessment and Management October 14-15th in Chicago

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Campus Threat Assessment and Management class is being held in Chicago, IL October 14-15th.

This two-day workshop for institutions of higher education 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 here.

Digital Threat Assessment® on October 17th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in partnership with Safer Schools Together, is pleased to announce an upcoming session of Digital Threat Assessment® on October 17th via Zoom.

The Digital Threat Assessment® training will enable participants to establish a framework to better assess all threats by constructing and considering the digital baseline of a threat maker by locating, documenting, and evaluating social media data through a threat assessment lens. A significant portion of the day will be spent engaging in hands-on exercises on the most prevalent social media platforms and associated search applications. 

For more information and to register, click here.

Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® on November 7th via Zoom

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in partnership with Safer Schools Together, is pleased to announce an upcoming session of Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® on November 7th via Zoom.

Building upon the Digital Threat Assessment® class by Safer Schools Together, Advanced Digital Threat Assessment® advances participants' understanding of finding and curating relevant digital information consistent with real-life digital threat assessment data gathering scenarios. Significant engagement and hands-on practice will take place. 

For more information and to register, click here.

Campus Threat Assessment and Management November 10-11th in Woodstock

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce a session of the Campus Threat Assessment and Management class is being held in Woodstock, IL November 10-11th.

This two-day workshop for institutions of higher education 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 here.

Illinois School Safety Conference October 1st

The Illinois School Safety Conference is scheduled for October 1, 2025, from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm in Niles, IL. This conference is free for school personnel, police, fire, emergency preparedness personnel, and public safety officers (you must bring your school or agency ID to enter the event). The conference includes speakers from various organizations, free continental breakfast and lunch, and onsite vendors. Additionally, paperwork will be provided on site for school personnel seeking Professional Development hours. For more information and to register, click here.

2025 Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference in Joliet

The Active Threat & Mental Wellness Conference in Joliet is being held November 5-7, 2025. "As an attendee, you ​will hear from those involved in some of our nation’s most noted active shooter events. Presenters will share their firsthand accounts from the event as well as the subsequent trauma and effects. The conference will help you plan strategically for preventing and responding to events, as well as prepare for the long and difficult journey of community recovery in the aftermath."

 For more information and to register, click here.