Safe Passage, Safe Blocks RFA Grant

Funder: District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice

The Safe Passage, Safe Blocks RFA aims to enhance student safety during their commutes by funding community-based organizations to provide a visible adult presence along designated routes. This initiative seeks to reduce violence and disruptions while fostering positive youth engagement, creating a supportive environment for students, families, and school communities in priority areas. The program utilizes trained Safe Passage Ambassadors to identify and intervene in potential threats, ensuring safer travel for all.

Purpose
The grant will enhance the safety and well-being of students as they travel to and from school. Through this grant, the District will fund community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide visible, trusted adult presence along designated Safe Passage routes, reduce incidents of violence or disruptions, and support positive youth engagement. This initiative aims to foster a safer, more supportive environment for students, families, and school communities in identified priority areas.
Safe Passage utilizes a community-based crime reduction model to improve student safety in predetermined priority areas through surveillance and violence interruption services. Safe Passage Ambassadors, who are central to this model, are trained to identify potential threats, intervene in unsafe situations, de-escalate conflicts, and report instances of violence against students.