In-person events to foster discussions on empowering student voices

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- The Colorado Office of School Safety, an office of the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS), is inviting students and educators in Colorado to address school safety concerns in their communities.

For the eighth year, the team is hosting Student Staff Summits in three Colorado locations to amplify youth voices and capture school safety concerns from communities across the state. These events, Empowering Student Voices for Safe Schools! are geared to foster discussions among students regarding spaces they feel safe, how students consume and use popular social media, and the use of substances with emphasis on the risk of vaping.  

The Keynote Address, provided by Rise Above Colorado, will emphasize the normalization of safe behaviors and supportive relationships. It will empower students to think critically about social media messaging and peer pressure while also discussing Colorado teens’ substance usage. 

Students in 8th through 12th Grade are invited to participate in teams of up to six students for every one staff member. Events are structured so adults can learn from the youth on their campuses, provide context, improve programming and present data and findings to their leadership.  

Each event runs from 9:45 a.m. - 2 p.m. so buses can complete their usual routes. Lunch and snacks are provided. This event is FREE for students and educators from all schools across the state. Local businesses who are interested in sponsoring the lunch and snack breaks are highly encouraged and greatly appreciated. Click the link for each location to find the unique registration pages for each event.   

“Now more than ever, student and school safety is of paramount importance in our state. We encourage students and educators to join us as we come together for invaluable discussions and actionable feedback that can be implemented immediately in schools following the findings of these learnings,” said Christine Harms, Director of the Office of School Safety. “The Office of School Safety has been formally leading the charge in school safety since 2008, and is steadfast in our mission of collaboratively assisting local schools and communities to create safe and positive learning environments for Colorado students from pre-k to higher education.”  

Reach out to Margaret Ochoa, Manager, Colorado School Safety Resource Center for questions or if you are a local business interested in sponsoring a portion of the events. More resources for educators, parents and students, and information about the agency are available at the Office of School Safety website.