Connecting to the Broader Network….

Over the course of several summits, the Ottawa Area Secure Schools Network (OASSN) has explored strategies to strengthen preparedness and response to school safety and security concerns. While much of the design and development has occurred between summits, the 2026 Spring Summit intentionally returns to three focus areas initiated in prior sessions to examine how, collectively, this work can be advanced and more fully integrated into district planning and day-to-day operations.

The three areas of focus include:

Child Exploitation Guidance A review of definitions and indicators of child exploitation, new MDE Health Standards, guiding questions to use if and when concerns arise, and how to connect students to appropriate community-based resources.  This will be followed by planning time to review district current policies and protocol.

Regional Crisis Response Team Exploring how a regional crisis response team could be organized and activated, including how districts would make the call to engage the team as part of an incident response. This work builds on and continues the PRePARE model that emerged from a prior OASSN summit.

Regional Reunification Centers Continuing planning for regional reunification centers, including how they would be initiated and operated as part of a coordinated response.

Come connect with the OASSN network as we explore how districts can effectively engage regional supports in times of need.