WAKEFIELD — Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) Executive Director Margie Daniels is pleased to share that the nonprofit will soon host a hybrid conference welcoming participants to attend in-person or virtually. The title of the conference is “From Sandy Hook to Uvalde: The Challenges of School Safety.”
Michele Gay, educator, and co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools, is the keynote speaker and will be joined by Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason and Robert Mason, Ph.D. The afternoon will feature a panel discussion led by Tri-Town School Superintendent Scott Morrison and the panel will include school and public safety leaders.
WHEN:
Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 8:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE:
Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School, 758 Marrett Rd, Lexington, MA
WHO:
- Michele Gay, Educator and Co-Founder, Safe and Sound Schools
- Colonel Christopher Mason, Massachusetts State Police
- John Antonucci, Ed.D., Superintendent, North Attleborough Public Schools
- Chief Michael Cassidy, Holliston Fire Department
- Jeff Farnsworth, Senior Policy Advisor for Law Enforcement, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
- Chief Kevin Kennedy, Lincoln Police Department
- Robert D. Macy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Boston Children’s Foundation
- Scott Morrison, Ed.D., Superintendent, Tri-Town School Union
WHAT:
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) Executive Director Margie Daniels and Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason will introduce the conference and frame the issues to be presented. Sudbury Police Chief Scott Nix will introduce Michele Gay, who moved to the Town of Sudbury after the 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.
When Michele and her family relocated to Sudbury, Chief Nix invited MPY Executive Director Margie to meet and have lunch with Michele and they formed an immediate friendship.
“MPY has been hosting fall School Safety Summits for more than a decade but this one is very special to me,” said Executive Director Margie Daniels. “The night of the Uvalde shooting, I contacted Michele to tell her I was thinking about her, knowing how deeply this recent tragedy would impact her and her family. That evening, Michele and I discussed having an MPY School Safety Summit and she graciously agreed to be the keynote speaker.”
Michele Gay, mother, educator, and co-founder of Safe and Sound Schools, will share her perspective about experiencing an unspeakable tragedy. Ms. Gay chose to act after losing her daughter, Josephine Grace, at the massacre on Dec. 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Since that time, Ms. Gay has focused her efforts on advocating for safety and security in schools and communities across the country.
“I admire Michele’s strength and determination and am so pleased that she will be coming to Massachusetts to present a keynote presentation for MPY’s participants,” said Director Daniels.
The afternoon panel, led by Tri-Town School Union Superintendent Scott Morrison, will include Holliston Fire Chief Michael Cassidy, Lincoln Police Chief Kevin Kennedy, North Attleborough School Superintendent John Antonucci, and Senior Policy Advisor for Law Enforcement, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Jeff Farnsworth. This multidisciplinary panel of safety experts will delve into the elements of how to keep school safe, including the establishment or enhancement of Threat Assessment Teams.
A follow-up School Safety Conference will be held on Nov. 17, 2022, to more deeply explore the importance of school climate/culture and the implementation of effective Threat Assessment Teams. This conference will also be held at Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School.
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration, and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth.
The nonprofit is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission.
To learn more, visit: https://massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com/.
