1. The DPI's Suicide Prevention Curriculum is newly updated and available for download for free on the webpage linked here: http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/mental-health/youth-suicide-prevention/student-programs/curriculum .

2.  The State Alcohol and Drug Abuse (AODA) Grant competition was launched on January 11, 2017.  Applications are due April 21, 2017 to DPI.  Further information, along with the grant-writers webinar recording and powerpoint, is available at: http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/aoda .

3.   Prevent Suicide Wisconsin Conference will take place on April 19 th at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells, WI.  For registration and further information go to:   http://www.preventsuicidewi.org/2017-psw-conference .

4.  The 2017 statewide Wisconsin Youth Risk Behavior Survey is currently being conducted with randomly selected schools through May 2017. If weighted data is achieved, 2017 data will be available in early 2018.  Please continue to use the weighed 2013 data until the 2017 survey is completed.  

5.       When updating your school district's tobacco policy use the newly compiled checklist aligned with the E-cigarette sample school policy language from the Public Health Law Center available on DPI's Tobacco Prevention website at:   http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/aoda/tobacco-program .  If your school district has updated your tobacco policy, notify Emily Holder at emily.holder@dpi.wi.gov and we will add it to our list of school districts on our website.

6.    Wisconsin DPI has awarded the 2016 Wisconsin School Health Award to 66 schools as a way to recognize and celebrate schools with policies, programs, and the infrastructure to support and promote healthy eating, physical activity, physical education, health education, parental and community involvement, and staff wellness. The goal of this award is to motivate and empower Wisconsin schools as they create and maintain healthy school environments. The 2016 awards ceremony will be at the WHPE Convention in Wisconsin Dells. For more information contact Eileen Hare at eileen.hare@dpi.wi.gov .

7.   There are ongoing DPI internal workgroup meetings for Academic and Career Planning (ACP) . The draft rule combining education for employment and ACP requirements (PI-26) has undergone public stakeholder input, revision, and has been submitted for legislative approval. The new PI-26 will inform districts and guide DPI in creating the professional development necessary to effectively implement ACPs statewide by 2017-2018. The governor's 2015-2017 biennial budget included $1.1 million annually for the purchase of career development technology and professional development. DPI has a website dedicated to the implementation of ACP's at: http://dpi.wi.gov/acp .

8. GSAFE and Mental Health America of Wisconsin partnered to produce the new resource for middle and high school educators, Best Practices for Supporting LGBTQ+ Students as They Return to School .  Please consider sharing this in love, respect, encouragement, support, and appreciation with educators that you know, including out-of-school and after school workers!  Please see attached, or follow the link above or here:  http://www.gsafewi.org/resources/for-educators/best-practices-for-supporting-lgbtq-youth-as-they-return-to-school/ .

Current DPI grants in progress:

1.  Through the Safe Schools Healthy Students grant, and a recent grant and partnership with CASEL, Wisconsin is developing state level Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies for grades K-12. These competencies will align with the current Model Early Learning standards.  The competencies will be available to all schools who choose to use them and will be accompanied by a number of resources to help schools fully implement social emotional learning. Additional focus will also be on developing a model for high school SEL implementation and a model for after school sites in order to provide them a method of effectively teaching and enhancing SEL skills in children in a manner that is consistent with in-school SEL application.  For more information contact Beth Herman at beth.herman@dpi.wi.gov .

2.       Wisconsin DPI was awarded the In School Pregnancy/Parenting Interventions, Resources, and Education Project (InSPIRE) Grant through the Office of Adolescent Health.  DPI continues to award 13 Wisconsin school districts and consortia with local grants through 2017. Outcomes include increasing high school graduation and enrollment in higher education, increasing parenting knowledge and skills, and decreasing repeat pregnancy.  The DPI responded to a new funding opportunity announcement that was released by the Office of Adolescent Health and will receive word about funding in June. For more information on the InSPIRE Project go to: http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/school-age-parent .

3.       Wisconsin DPI was awarded the competitive School-based HIV/STD Prevention and Surveillance Grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, year four in a five-year project.  The HIV grant will have statewide activities around policy and curriculum, but will have targeted activities to 15 priority districts in policy, curriculum, referrals for health service and safe school climate. All grantees are required to address school climate for LGBTQ+ youth.  More information is available here: http://dpi.wi.gov/sspw/health-education/aids-hiv .

4.       Wisconsin DHS, in collaboration with DPI, was awarded the enhanced Chronic Disease Prevention Grant , currently in year four of a five-year project. Areas of focus in 16 priority districts are asthma and anaphylaxis, diabetes, epilepsy, and obesity prevention.  For more information contact Eileen Hare at eileen.hare@dpi.wi.gov .

Active Students are Better Learners with Active Schools Core 4+ trainings are available at 6 CESA's during 2016-17. Please see the WISH Center website www.wishschools.org for details.

5.   Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) received the School Climate Transformation Grant , funded by US Department of Education at $578,521/year for five years, through 2019. The project will effectively build local capacity to provide, improve, and expand multi-level systems of support by directly strengthening positive behavioral interventions and support (PBIS), as well as integrating school mental health services and supports into PBIS. The work of the grant is to strengthen Wisconsin state capacity to: a) deliver expanded effective training and technical assistance through an existing statewide PBIS Training Center; and b) deliver training and technical assistance on school mental health . Mental Health Framework Roll-out trainings are continuing around the state at CESA's this year.  For more information on the School Mental Health contact Elizabeth Cook at elizabeth.cook@dpi.wi.gov or Kathryn Bush at kathryn.bush@dpi.wi.gov .

6.   Wisconsin was one of seven states that received a Safe Schools-Healthy Students Grant .  DPI received this federal grant to address school safety in the Beloit, Racine, and Menominee Indian School Districts. It is a four year project, ending in 2017.  A project summary with more detail is available by contacting the Project Coordinator, Beth Herman at beth.herman@dpi.wi.gov .

7.   Wisconsin DPI also received the Project AWARE Grant , funded by SAMHSA for $9.8 million for five years through 2019.  The purposes of this project are to: 1) make schools safer; 2) improve school climates; 3) increase capacity to identify warning signs of mental health problems among children and make appropriate referrals to mental health care; and 4) increase capacity of the state and local education agencies to connect children and youth with behavioral health issues with needed services. The focus needs to be with students and families in three school districts, with project products to be available to all schools statewide. Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings will be available to those involved in working with youth ages 12-18.  The Project Coordinator of Youth Mental Health First Aid is Christie Gause-Bemis at christie.gause-bemis@dpi.wi.gov .  For more information on AWARE contact the Project Coordinator, Monica Wightman at monica.wightman@dpi.wi.gov .

8.   The Wisconsin DPI received the Bullying Prevention Research Project , funded by National Institutes of Justice for $858,000 through December 2017.  The proposed study researches the effectiveness of a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and Bullying Prevention program on outcomes of school safety and climate among students in grades six through eight in 36 middle schools. The Wisconsin DPI will partner with schools, academic institutions, several community health partners, and the WISH Center in this endeavor.  For more information contact John Bowser at john.bowser@dpi.wi.gov .

9.   The Wisconsin DPI received the Wisconsin School Emergency Management Project , funded by US Department of Ed. for $472,000 through March 2017, received a no cost extension through December 31, 2017. Funding will go to the WISH Center to provide PREPaRE trainings.

ESSA Update -The department has convened an internal work group to plan for implementation of the various titles authorized as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act.  The new title IV-Part A resurrects elements of the old "Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities" program, which had been part of the previous iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ("No Child Left Behind").  In addition to allowable activities that include drug and violence prevention and promotion of school mental health services, the newly reauthorized Title IV-Part A includes expanded use of technology, access to high quality education opportunities, and many other such activities.  Title IV-Part A has become a "block grant" of sorts.  Discussion currently is on whether the appropriation will exist under the new administration or be anywhere close to the authorized spending levels ($1.6 Billion annually) that Congress had established as a "Ceiling" for this program.  These decisions will need to be made throughout the 2016-17 school year so that the program can be implemented in 2017-18 as scheduled.