{"id":146200,"date":"2025-01-07T11:58:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T17:58:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=146200"},"modified":"2025-01-07T11:58:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T17:58:13","slug":"university-of-mississippi-program-to-boost-safety-belonging-in-rural-mississippi-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/university-of-mississippi-program-to-boost-safety-belonging-in-rural-mississippi-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"University of Mississippi Program to Boost Safety, Belonging in Rural Mississippi Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Department of Justice allots $2M to address chronic absenteeism, safety concerns<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

University of Mississippi<\/strong> researchers are using a $2 million grant from the Department of Justice<\/strong> to promote safety, belonging and academic success in rural Mississippi <\/strong>classrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Connections Program<\/strong> brings together experts from philosophy, education, social work, psychology and criminal justice to foster safer and more supportive school environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One of the things that makes this program really distinctive is that it incorporates ethics into the curriculum,” said Deborah Mower<\/strong>, director of\u00a0The Center for Practical Ethics<\/strong><\/a>. “There are no other programs that do that, and the incorporation of ethics and the study of philosophy is not something done in the United States educational system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That’s to the detriment of students because they don’t have the opportunity to really grapple with some deep, personal questions and complex situations in ways that could help them make better decisions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Connections Program will involve teachers, counselors, parents and school resource officers working to implement a curriculum that encourages students to think critically about their actions and decisions. By developing these skills, the researchers aim to reduce the number of chronically absent students and safety concerns in schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Connections Program will include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n