Key Accomplishments

CSSN is recognized by government, police services, school boards, community agencies, parents, teachers, students and media outlets as a reliable and credible source of information and partner in the campaign against youth violence on a local, provincial and national basis. For example, CSSN was approached by the Laidlaw School Bus Company for consultation on how to manage delinquent student behaviours and by the Toronto District School Board regarding safe school policy initiatives and program and staff development. CSSN was also chosen and funded by the Ontario Government to deliver the ‘Perceptions of Violence’ research study in Ontario schools in 2001, in which over 110,000 students were contacted. CSSN continues to influence safe school legislation in Ontario and is consulted on a regular basis by the government and the official opposition for safe school policy direction. In 2005, our president served on the Ontario Government’s Safe School Action Team, which was mandated by the Ministry of Education to review bully prevention resources and make recommendations to the Minister.
 
In 2006, CSSN’s safe school resources were reviewed and endorsed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Over 14 school boards in Ontario have currently purchased “Cool Kids in the Zone” for schools in their system. Other large boards, including both Toronto boards, have purchased significant blocks of the resource, as well as in-service training for staff on how to implement the resource. In effect, this means that over 1.3 million children will be exposed to our resources through instruction by teachers across Ontario. It is the single biggest recognition of CSSN resources in the history of the organization. Due to the success of the Cool Kids in the Zone’, CSSN is happy to announce that it has translated and produced a French version: ‘Enfants “Cool” dans la Zone’.
 
CSSN provides a number of services, including:

•	direct advice/referral service to communities across Canada via a section on its website entitled “When Nobody’s Listening”;
•	development, delivery and facilitatation of safe school conferences and professional development workshops;
•	commentary on youth violence issues of the day for national print, radio and television outlets;
•	development and distribution of safe school resources across Canada (current resources include teacher manuals, brochures and videos, DVDs and CD/ROMs on school violence, bullying and character development);
•	direct services to schools in the Greater Toronto Area through the development and delivery of safe school assemblies (in partnership with the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Argonauts and the Toronto Marlies), workshops and speaking engagements; and
•	developing and administering the Empowered Student Partnerships program (in partnership with the Toronto Police Service, the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and Pro Action Cops and Kids), a student-driven, school-based crime reduction program, which is currently active in over 100 intermediate and senior schools in Toronto.

For more information check out our Resources & Research, Professional Development and News & Events sections.