Foundation for Dubuque Public Schools Partners with United Way Grant on Violence Prevention Program

For Immediate Release:  11/28/17

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Dubuque Community School District students will take part in Green Dot Violence Prevention training on November 29th, thanks to a grant from the United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States, awarded to the Foundation for Dubuque Public Schools.

Since 2012, the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD) has implemented the Green Dot violence prevention program to address bullying, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking among its secondary students.  Green Dot is a research proven program that capitalizes on the power of peer and cultural influence to address the root causes of power-based personal violence. Green Dot empowers students to be active bystanders for the prevention of high-risk moments by teaching them how to recognize potentially violent situations (Red Dots), helping them understand what makes it difficult to intervene, and then teaching them how to use reactive strategies (Green Dots) to respond to violence.  The training ultimately results in a cultural change towards safety in the schools.  

DCSD was the first school district in the nation to implement Green Dot on such a broad scale, and has since served as a model for other districts.  Initially, the Green Dot program was funded through a grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Violence against Women, which has now expired.  Funding received from the United Way has allowed this important program to continue and grow, by training DCSD staff to serve as certified Green Dot coaches, providing resources to facilitate the program, and training students from diverse backgrounds to implement violence prevention practices in their schools.

For more information, contact Jennifer Klinkhammer, FDPS executive director, at Jennifer@dbqfoundation.org or 563.588.2700 or visit www.dbqfoundation.org/FDPS.

###

The Foundation for Dubuque Public Schools (FDPS) promotes the importance of public education by increasing community investment for the enhancement of student achievement in the Dubuque Public Schools. FDPS board members and staff fulfill this mission by securing financial gifts and grants for school programs and projects that are not currently supported by public tax dollars. Learn more at www.dbqfoundation.org/FDPS