Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety
Created in 2000, the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS), located within the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Service, focuses on improving and enhancing safety by addressing topics which affect Virginia law enforcement, schools, and institutions of higher education. The VCSCS is a resource and training center for information and research about national and statewide safety efforts and initiatives in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. Through Virginia Code § 9.1-184, the VCSCS is mandated to:
- Provide training for stakeholders,
- Develop, review, and disseminate resources and legislation,
- Facilitate the annual school safety audit,
- Provide technical assistance, and
- Develop partnerships to promote school safety and campus in Virginia.
The VCSCS strives to achieve all of these mandates and to be a one-stop service center to K-12 schools, institutions of higher learning, and law enforcement agencies. On the VCSCS’ webpages, constituents will find trending topics, resources, trainings, and legislation updates for the fields of:
October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. You care about the children and teens in your family, neighborhood, and community. You want to help prevent bullying, but might not know where to start. There are many things you can do to prevent or address bullying. You can have an impact, whether through seemingly small, in-the-moment actions, to longer-term commitments. Here are some ideas on what you can do to make a difference during National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and all year long. Read more on StopBullying.gov.
October is also National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCAM). This nationwide, month-long campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and ensure that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and secure online. NCAM 2019 emphasizes personal accountability and stresses the importance of taking proactive steps to enhance cybersecurity at home and in the workplace. This year’s overarching message – Own IT. Secure IT. Protect IT. –focuses on key areas including citizen privacy, consumer devices, and ecommerce security. Fact sheets and webinars are available for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education:
Cybersecurity Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts
Cyber Safety Considerations for K-12 Schools and School Districts Fact Sheet
Integrating Cybersecurity with Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) for K-12 Schools (webinar)
Cybersecurity Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education
Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety Staff
Donna Michaelis, Division Director
804.371.6506
Email Donna
Betsy Bell, Threat Assessment Program Coordinator
804.418.4629
Email Betsy
James Christian, K-12 School Safety and Threat Assessment Supervisor
804.357.0967
Email James
Marc Dawkins, Campus Safety and Technical Assistance Supervisor
804.380.9709
Email Marc
Shellie Evers, School Safety Audit Coordinator and Conference Planner
804.629.7042
Email Shellie
Kristina Fawcett, Public Safety Training Coordinator
804.225.3948
Email Kristina
Tracy Matthews, Law Enforcement Training Coordinator
804.371.0635
Email Tracy
Carol Miller, Administrative Training Specialist
804.225.4111
Email Carol
Kim Simon, SRO/SSO Training and Program Coordinator
804.205.3803
Email Kim
Brad Stang, Threat Assessment Program Coordinator
804.786.3973
Email Brad
Karen D. Thomas, Threat Assessment Grant Coordinator
804.586.1743
Email Karen
Lori Walters, Administrative Training Specialist
804.225.2091
Email Lori
Nicole Wilcox, Ed.D., Climate Survey Specialist
804.786.3923
Email Nicole
Gillian Wilson, Resource Development and Online Training Coordinator
804.482.8922
Email Gillian
