Sandy Hook Promise is a national, nonprofit organization based in Newtown, Connecticut. Sandy Hook Promise is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook School on December 14, 2012. Sandy Hook Promise’s mission is to create a culture engaged in preventing shootings, violence, and other harmful acts in schools.

Sandy Hook Promise’s evidence-based Know the Signs programs teach youth and adults how to prevent school violence, shootings, and other harmful acts by identifying at-risk behaviors and intervening to get people the help they may need. These early prevention measures empower students and educators to keep schools and communities safe.

The Say Something program teaches students to look for warning signs and threats — especially on social media —of someone at-risk of hurting themselves or others and to “say something” to a trusted adult before a tragedy can occur.

The program teaches students three steps:

Recognize warning signs and threats.  Learn to understand what is a warning sign or threat and where you are likely to find them.
Act immediately; take it seriously. Understand strategies to take action and overcome the barriers that may exist to being an “upstander” rather than a “bystander.”
Say something to a trusted adult. Learn how to intervene when you see warning signs and threats by telling a trusted adult; and know who those trusted adults are that you can go to for help.
The Department of Safe Schools has implemented a variety of activities under the Sandy Hook Promise umbrella for the last three years through a Department of Justice Grant.  The grant has ended but many schools are still implementing activities to engage students and ensure a safe environment on campus.

For information regarding the program, contact Dr. JeTawn Shannon at jetawn.shannon@palmbeachschools.org.