Safe passage

About Safe passage

Safe Passage provides safety for youth as they travel to and from school through a trusted adult presence designed to be there for the youth and their families. The program helps identify any barriers each family faces to get their children to school, after-school programs, events, and partner programs in a timely and safe manner. Safe Passage allows the development of relationships with youth and their parents, intervenes in and mediates potential conflicts, and connects youth and their support systems to needed resources. When there is an observed need, Safe Passage Navigators can share information with families about community services.

In the 2023-2024 school year, we will focus first on the Knollwood community because of the high rates of violent crime in the neighborhood.

North Middle School is among the schools in the district with high truancy rates. Lack of safety has led to lower participation rates in afterschool programs and extracurricular activities.  We also wish to be there with the youth in case of before/after school disputes to mediate and reduce threats.

Safe Passage Navigators will be deployed at the school’s key exit and entry points, bus stops, and intersections where youth congregate in and around the school.  Navigators are posted on Safe Passage routes to support children traveling to and from school during arrival and dismissal times.