Minnesota

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.

In 2014, St. Paul Public Schools received a Project Prevent Program grant. The district used this 5-year grant to help its schools increase capacities for identifying, assessing, and serving students exposed to pervasive violence. The award helped ensure that affected students were offered mental health services for trauma or anxiety. The award also supported the implementation of other school-based violence prevention strategies that reduced the likelihood of future violence. To find out more about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/funding.html.

Minneapolis Public Schools received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html.

In 2016, the City of Minneapolis received a Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grant. This 5-year grant is designed to assist communities that have recently faced civil unrest to better serve the needs of high-risk youth and their families by promoting resilience and equity. Communities will use funding to implement evidence-based, violence prevention, and community youth engagement programs, as well as linkages to trauma-informed behavioral health services. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/sm-16-012.