The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Office of Safe Schools is committed to supporting statewide bullying prevention efforts to help create and maintain safe and secure learning environments. To build on the foundation of over one decade of research-based bullying prevention program implementation, PDE is increasing training opportunities for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP). The Office for Safe Schools’ intent is to provide schools with OBPP trainers, who are employees of the Local Education Agencies (LEA). The benefits of having an OBPP certified trainer employed by the LEA include; implementation and ongoing support which address needs that are unique to the school and local community, reduction in costs for new staff trainings, increased opportunities for OBPP consultation to support fidelity to the program model leading to positive outcomes and greater sustainability.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Office for Safe School is requesting proposals from Local Education Agencies (LEA) interested in implemented the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBBP) during the 2012-13 school year.  This opportunity includes a scholarship for an LEA employee to participate in an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer Certification Course (OBPP TCC). LEA’s will be required to demonstrate their readiness and commitment to implementing the OBPP. This is a competitive application process and a maximum of 20 scholarship opportunities will be awarded.

1.    ELIGIBILITY:  Local Education Agencies (including School Districts, Intermediate Units, Career & Technology Centers and approved Charter Schools) are eligible to apply for the PDE, Office for Safe Schools OBPP Scholarship OBPP Trainer and OBPP Implementation Opportunity.  Required application forms and documents will be provided at the completion of the required administrator webinars. Funding will be available to each selected LEA to augment additional costs.

2.    ASSURANCES:  Each LEA must agree to the following assurances to ensure quality and continuity of programming.

a.    The LEA must commit to provide an employee (selected for the OBPP TCC scholarship opportunity) with release time to attend the OBPP TCC on December 5,6,7, 2012.

b.    The LEA must agree to allot time to train and support OBPP implementation for a minimum of one school building during the 2012-13 school year.

c.    The LEA employee selected for the OBPP TCC must agree to provide the LEA with OBPP training and support for a minimum of one school building during the 2012-13 school year.  

d.    The OBPP trainer candidate will be required to complete the OBPP trainer application and if selected agree to attend the OBPP TCC and fulfill the trainer certification requirements.

3.     LOCATION:  University of Pittsburgh Child Welfare Resource Center, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

4.    DATE:  December 5, 6 and 7, 2012.

5.    ADDITIONAL  APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:  

a.    Prospective scholarship candidates for the OBPP TCC are required to listen to a one hour webinar, which provides an overview of Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, trainer requirements and the Office for Safe Schools OBPP 2012-13 Implementation Opportunity requirements. 

b.    The recorded session is available at http://vclass.cciu.org/recordings.html  Click on the September 24 Olweus session to listen to the trainer candidate webinar.

c.    Interested district-levels administrators are required to listen to a one hour webinar, which provides an overview of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, readiness factors and the Office for Safe School OBPP 2012-13 Implementation Opportunity requirements.

d.    The recorded session is available at http://vclass.cciu.org/recordings.html  Click on the September 25 Olweus session to listen to the administrator’s webinar.

For questions concerning this training opportunity, contact Mary Dolan, Bullying Prevention Consultant, Department of Education at c-mdolan@pa.gov.