About the School Safety Symposium

The San Mateo County Office of Education and the Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities in San Mateo have partnered with the Bay Area Urban Area Securities Initiative to host a day long School Safety Symposium. The symposium will include:

  • Prevention strategies for schools, partner agencies and families to help decrease bullying, increase student and school connectedness and help parents/families connect on- and off- line with their students
  • Behavioral Threat Assessment for schools and student threat assessment case management tools
  • Local, state and federal supports to help navigate school threats

We hope to draw over 200 participants from law enforcement, education, county agencies, and community-based organizations that serve youth to come learn strategies and best practices to keep our schools and communities safe from targeted violence.

Register for the School Safety Symposium* and find additional details on the flyer.

*Please note that due to the topic of this symposium we will be requiring all attendees to show a valid form of Identification (Law Enforcement badge, State or Federal Identification) as well as verification of District/Agency affiliation

Session Information


Keynote Address: Secret Service

The Keynote Address will review relevant case examples and includes findings and recommendations from NTAC’s latest research publications on targeted school attacks and averted school attack plots in the United States. It will also focus on how communities can use an 8-step multidisciplinary approach to identify, assess, and intervene with students exhibiting concerning or threatening behaviors. This model is intended to proactively identify students in need of additional intervention or support. Key findings from this research indicate that establishing multidisciplinary threat assessment teams and encouraging school communities to report concerning behaviors are critical steps in the prevention of targeted violence. The reports examined school attacker and plotter behaviors and motivations, and are intended to inform the violence prevention efforts of our public safety partners. 

Aaron Cotkin photo

DR. AARON COTKIN | Social Science Research Specialist
United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, Protective Intelligence and Assessment Division

Dr. Cotkin is a Social Science Research Specialist with the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) where he participates in the Center’s mission to conduct research and provide trainings, consultations, and information-sharing on threat assessments and targeted violence. NTAC’s focus is understanding and developing methods to prevent violence that targets government officials and facilities, public spaces, K-12 schools, university campuses, and workplaces.

Prior to joining NTAC in 2019, Dr. Cotkin taught college courses in political science and ethics, and was managing editor of The Adam Smith Review, a peer-reviewed academic journal. Dr. Cotkin earned a Ph.D. in political science from University of California, San Diego.


Keynote: Cyberbullying Prevention

Dr. Sameer Hinduja will be speaking during a fireside chat on how schools and families can prevent cyberbullying, and also provide a breakout session on this topic to flesh out specific, actionable strategies focused on positive school climates, empathy, resilience, rule-setting and enforcement, technological solutions, and more. The overall goal is to equip attendees to help youth engage with others in safe, smart, honest, and responsible ways both offline and online. Learn more at https://cyberbullying.org.

photo of Sameer Hinduja


DR. SAMEER HINDUJA | 
Professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice; Florida Atlantic University
Co-Director, Cyberbullying Research Center
Faculty at Berkman Klein Center; Harvard University
Dr. Sameer Hinduja is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying, sexting, and social media and gaming abuse. As a noted researcher and speaker on youth and social media issues for the last 20 years, Dr. Hinduja trains technologists, educators, mental health professionals, youth specialists, parents, and students around the world on how to promote the positive use of technology and build healthy online communities.

Empowering Youth to Prevent Violence and Threats on Campus

Students see, hear, and know things that adults don’t and can intervene in ways that adults cannot. In order to keep schools safe with learning a priority, students must be given the tools and support to identify, take action, and report what they see. This presentation will provide a template for engaging and empowering student leaders with skills to safely intervene when they witness incidents among their peers. Doing so creates a safer school climate for all students and adults.

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ERICA VOGEL | Chief Executive Officer, Community Matters

Erica has over 25 years of experience working with youth programming and management in the nonprofit sector.  She has experience working with and partnering with Joint Power Authorities and school pool insurers to implement programs designed to strengthen schools and reduce risk and liability. She has expertise in program development, implementation, fundraising, marketing, and community relations.  Erica holds a B.A. in Management and Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University.



 
 

KIMBERLYN MOFFET | Director of Program & Training, Community Matters

Kimberlyn has over 15 years of experience facilitating and strengthening organizational partnerships and relationships and over 10 years of experience working with local schools to deliver anti-bullying and safe school initiatives. Kimberlyn holds a B.A. in Organizational Communication from California State University, Sacramento.

 

 

 

School to Prison Pipeline after the Pandemic

Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) is a Bay Area nonprofit whose mission is to partner with youth to unlock their potential, disrupt the pipeline to prison, and advance justice in California and beyond. At our founding, we were guided by the input of youth in the juvenile system to create programs grounded in legal education, mentoring, and leadership training. Over the past 22 years, FLY has continued to work alongside justice-impacted young people, helping them advocate to get their needs met and transform our systems to become more equitable, just, and humane. As we have done this, we have shifted our focus from service for some to justice for all. Come learn about FLY's services, evolution, and perspective on how we can work together to dismantle the pipeline to prison.



Mobilization Indicators: Protecting Students Against Violent Extremism Recruitment

This presentation will cover the Mobilization Indicators Booklet, which is a list of observable behaviors that could signal whether individuals are pursuing ideologically motivated extremist activities, along with presenting other resources geared towards mitigating youth vulnerabilities to extremist messaging and encouraging coordination among all stakeholders in advance of a terrorist incident at a school.

Cover of mobilization indicators book

 

CHRIS ELLIS | Representative; National Counterterrorism Center
Chris Ellis currently serves as the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) regional representative in San Francisco, covering Northern California and Nevada. Chris began his career in the Intelligence Community in 2004, where he covered Iraq-related terrorism issues. Chris arrived at NCTC in 2009 and has worked in several directorates covering terrorism-related issues around the globe. Prior to coming to the Intelligence Community, Chris performed non-governmental organization work in Afghanistan in 2002 and 2003. Chris has a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Security Studies from the National Defense University, and a B.A. degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University.

 


Roblox, Digital Wellness Lab, and NAMLE

Roblox builds the tools and platform that empower people to create their own immersive experiences, so that any world they can imagine can be brought to life. Th vision is to reimagine the way people come together to create, play, learn, and connect with one another. Learn more at Roblox.com.

TAMI BHAUMIK | Vice President of Civility and Partnerships, Roblox
Tami Bhaumik is the Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox where she spearheads the platform's digital civility initiative. To establish healthy and safe communities, Tami is focused on providing kids, teens, parents, and caregivers with skills needed to create positive online experiences, in partnership with leading global safety and industry organizations. With over 25 years of experience, she has successfully fostered supportive communities in a variety of industries through leading the growth of multiple Silicon Valley startups and is an active board member at leading safety institutions. Tami graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Digital Wellness Lab - Kids today live in a digitally saturated world, but we are only just beginning to understand how interactive media and technology affect their mental, physical, and social-emotional health and development and their ability to thrive. The Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School seeks to understand and promote positive and productive online experiences for young people, from birth through young adulthood. By following the science, we can create an empathetic and respectful world in which our kids can grow up healthy, smart, and kind. Learn more at digitalwellnesslab.orgFamilies and educators can find a link to a Family Digital Wellness Guide, a web-based tool for families to use on any device.

NAMLE
- As the leading voice, convener, and resource for media literacy education, NAMLE aims to make media literacy highly valued and widely practiced as an essential life skill. NAMLE envisions a day when everyone, in our nation and around the world, possesses the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, create, and act using all forms of communication. Media literacy education refers to the practices necessary to foster these skills.

Sandy Hook Promise: Say Something

This presentation will provide an introduction to the history of Sandy Hook Promise, how and when it was founded, and the mission. In addition, the presenters will review a suite of programs, including Start With Hello, Say Something, Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Promise Clubs and how they support the mission of prevention youth violence in homes, schools, and communities. The presentation will also cover statistics and information about the state of youth violence and mental health in the country and why Sandy Hook Promise believes that a holistic approach to violence prevention is critical to changing the culture of violence in our country. Finally, there will be an overview of the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, how Sandy Hook Promise teams work in collaboration with school districts across the country, background on our National Crisis Center, and discuss how our tip management process works.

photo of Anathea Chartrand

 

 ANATHEA CHARTRAND | Associate VP, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System Account Management & Program Delivery
Anathea is a passionate life-long educator committed to working in service of ensuring all youth have fair access to a successful future. She has worked as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, and is an experienced director of development and management of educational technology products. Anathea has been in her current role since 2019, and prior to that she ran on the SHP New York Marathon team twice and served as a volunteer Promise Leader. She oversees all program implementation and account support of over 150 school districts and the states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

 

 

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MYRA LEUCI | Senior Director, Say Something Anonymous Reporting System Account Management
Myra has over 25 years of experience working in account management, sales, and marketing. Her commitment to client relations has resulted in long-lasting professional partnerships. In her current position, Myra has worked with district, county, and statewide partners on program implementation for close to five years. Her fluency in Spanish and knowledge of Hispanic culture has enabled her to bring a greater understanding of the needs and barriers for this growing community.

 




School Safety and the Role of Fusion Centers

Fusion centers are designed to promote information sharing across public, private, nonprofit, and other organizations. The Northern California Regional Intelligence Center (NCRIC) fusion center includes counties from Monterey to the Oregon border. This presentation will cover the NCRIC’s efforts to support school safety, an overview of fusion centers, and recent notable incidents. Participants will learn about programs, networks, and methods that were created to improve school security.

photo of Gina DoolanGINA DOOLAN | Intelligence Analyst, Strategy, Infrastructure, and Analysis (SIA) Unit
Gina Doolan's law enforcement and intelligence background spans over 22 years including the past 14 years at the NCRIC as well as service at the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (NC HIDTA) and the California Department of Justice. In 2012, NC HIDTA recognized Intelligence Analyst (IA) Doolan with the “Outstanding Intelligence Analyst” award. She has been with NCRIC’s Strategy, Infrastructure, and Analysis (SIA) Unit as the Critical Infrastructure Protection/Intelligence Analyst for about eight years, with responsibilities ranging from critical infrastructure protection with threat and vulnerability assessments, outreach, and critical incident and planned special event support. IA Doolan was the NCRIC representative on a statewide School Safety project for Infrastructure protection. As the NCRIC representative working with representatives from the other four California regional fusion centers, California State Threat Assessment Center (STAC), and the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), she helped her team successfully develop a California Peace Officer Standards in Training (POST) certified course to train first responders how to conduct vulnerability assessments at schools. IA Doolan holds a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from San Jose State University.


DAVID BROWN |
Intelligence officer, Northern California Regional Intelligence Center
Deputy Sheriff, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office
David Brown is a deputy sheriff with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, currently assigned to the NCRIC as an intelligence officer. He is part of the Terrorism Liaison Officer Outreach Program (TLOOP) where he helps train Terrorism Liaison Officers throughout the region. He connects and coordinates with law enforcement officials around the country to assist in all types of investigations and incidents. He has been assigned to the NCRIC for about five years. David has a background with the sheriff’s office working in several different assignments including the Oakland International Airport, the Santa Rita Jail, Transit Police Services, and several patrol duties. He started his law enforcement career in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after being honorably discharged from the US Marine Corps where he was a parachute rigger and a Reconnaissance Marine. David holds a B.S. degree in Business with a Finance emphasis from Brigham Young University.

 

Using Gun Violence Restraining Orders to Improve Campus Safety

Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs, which are also called “red flag laws”), are an important but underutilized tool that prohibits a person who is making threats of targeted violence or who is engaging in violent incidents from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This training will explain what GVROs are and the procedures authorizing a court to issue one.  

photo of Claire Cunningham
CLAIRE CUNNINGHAM | Chief Deputy County Attorney, San Mateo County

Claire joined the San Mateo County Attorney’s Office in 2007. In 2014, she was promoted to the position of Lead Deputy County Attorney and assumed primary responsibility for the Office’s Education Law Team. In 2018, she was appointed Chief Deputy County Attorney and continues to represent several local school districts, the County Office of Education, and the San Mateo County Coalition for Safe Schools and Communities. As general counsel to school districts, Claire has handled almost every type of legal issue that can arise in the public sector. However, the most rewarding work of her career has been to support and advise schools regarding campus safety issues, including student threat assessment and information sharing among school partners to better serve students.




An Equity-Based, Trauma-Informed, Collaborative and Comprehensive Approach to Student Threat

Student Threat Assessment can often lead to negative educational outcomes for students who exhibit the concerning behavior. As Educators, Mental Health Practitioners, and School Based Law Enforcement, the last thing we want to do is push a student who already feels isolated further into isolation, but keeping them on our school sites can often feel scary. We will explore how to identify students and behaviors of concern in a school setting, how to implement an Student Threat Assessment protocol using an equity and trauma informed lens, and best practices in how to engage with the student in services to help them feel more connected while keeping the school community safe.

MASON HENRICKS | Coordinator, School Safety & risk Prevention, San Mateo County Office of Education Mason Henricks is the Coordinator of School Safety and Risk Prevention at the County office of Education. They are a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 20 years of experience working with youth. Currently they work for the San Mateo County Office of Education providing professional development and support to educators countywide on topics of trauma, student violence, and school safety. They oversee the Student Threat Assessment Center in San Mateo County to help prevent acts of targeted violence on school sites by connecting students with effective and appropriate interventions, and providing situational awareness and prevention training to educators. They coordinate the Big Five: Immediate Action Emergency Response for Schools, recently co-authoring a children’s book that teaches students about a Lockdown/Barricade in a trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate way.

Mason Henricks

Coordinator, School Safety and Risk Prevention

Email: mhenricks@smcoe.org

Phone: (650) 802-5434