Stronger Connections Grant Program

Stronger Connections Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Illinois State Board of Education
Amount: US $100,000 - US $4,958,020
Last Updated: May 13, 2025

Summary

The Stronger Connections Grant Program aims to assist local education agencies (LEAs) in creating safe and inclusive learning environments that foster student wellness and academic success. By funding evidence-based strategies, the program encourages LEAs to collaborate with community resources to support students' physical, emotional, and mental health needs. This initiative focuses on integrating comprehensive school safety plans and community violence prevention strategies to enhance school culture and climate.

Overview

Stronger Connections Grant Program Program Purpose The program's purpose is to support LEAs in their efforts to prevent violence and to establish safe, healthy, inclusive, and supportive teaching and learning opportunities and environments that create a positive school culture and climate and prioritize student wellness and academic outcomes through evidence-based activities. Program Description The program will support high-need LEAs to develop comprehensive school systems grounded in local evidence-based school safety and climate plans, along with other evidence-based strategies for creating safe, healthy, and supportive schools. The program funds must supplement, not supplant, other federal and state funds. Focuses on a comprehensive approach by implementing school-based violence prevention programs in coordination and alignment with broader evidence-based community violence prevention strategies. These activities can be coordinated with community-based services and prevention programs and may include a wide variety of activities designed to meet students’ physical, social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs and improve school safety and climate.LEAs are encouraged to use Stronger Connections funds to establish partnerships within the community to provide resources (e.g., mental, and physical health services, parent engagement classes, housing assistance, and nutrition programs) and support for schools that will ultimately strengthen relationships between schools and communities to improve student success.Creates positive, inclusive, and supportive school environments; increases access to school-based interventions and services.Allows funds to be used for a range of services and activities as allowed under ESEA Section 4108.Supports local efforts to integrate evidence-based programs focused on the whole child and provides services and supports to reduce or eliminate exclusionary practices in consideration of non-cognitive development (social, emotional, and behavioral), mental wellness, and physical health for children while increasing student connections and a sense of belonging at school and the number of school-related activities extending beyond the school day, including out-of-school opportunities.Promotes integrated student wellness addressing out-of-school barriers through partnerships with community social and health service agencies, including, but not limited to, social-emotional learning, trauma, conflict resolution, restorative justice practices, access to mental health services, decreasing bullying, and punitive disciplinary actions.

Eligibility

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