AG’S OFFICE SEEKING APPLICATIONS FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PROVIDERS FOR GAME CHANGE PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

AG’S OFFICE SEEKING APPLICATIONS FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT PROVIDERS FOR GAME CHANGE PARTNERSHIP WITH 
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Application Period Opens For Grant Program For New Anti-Violence Initiative in High Schools

BOSTON — As part of her office’s new anti-violence partnership with the New England Patriots, Attorney General Maura Healey opened the application period for a grant program to fund training by local domestic violence and sexual assault (DV/SA) prevention organizations in high schools across Massachusetts.

This grant program is one component of  “Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership,” announced in September by AG Healey and New England Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. The AG’s Office is awarding six grants of up to $45,000 each to six domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organizations statewide for the 2016-2017 school year. The selected organizations will partner with and provide support services to schools.

“The Game Change program will help prevent violence by reaching students at an early age and teaching them about healthy relationships,” said AG Healey. “We are looking to partner with organizations that will lend their expertise and support to students, parents and school administrators as we work to prevent domestic violence.”

The first phase of the Game Change program will train 180 personnel from 90 high schools across the state through a series of training institutes conducted by the nation-leading Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program, run by The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University. The AG’s Office is currently acceptingapplications from schools for participation in the Game Change program. Schools will be selected this winter and trainings will begin this spring.

In the second phase of the program, the AG’s Office will select 30 high schools – five in each of the six regions of the state – to receive more in-depth training for school staff, students, parents and administrators. Each of these 30 high schools will be paired with a local DV/SA provider for ongoing support.

Applicants for the DV/SA Provider grants must:

·         Have experience in providing domestic violence and sexual assault prevention educational programming in high schools.

·         Be committed to viewing its organization’s involvement in the program as a way to help schools sustain violence prevention programming beyond the life cycle of the grant.

·         Be willing to attend the three-day initial training institute for their region, which the AG’s Office anticipates will be held in the winter of 2016.

·         Develop an ongoing relationship with the schools, including helping to provide classroom programing, training other school staff, educating parents, working with the administration on anti-violence policies and offering services for parents and families dealing with violence and abuse.

Interested applicants can visit the Attorney General’s website,www.mass.gov/ago/gamechange for additional information about the application process and to submit an application. The deadline to apply for the grant is 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015.