About Safe and Sound Schools
Our mission is to support school crisis prevention, response, and recovery, and to protect every school and every student, every day. We have always — and only — focused on school safety. We are firm in our mission and firm in our resolve, and we will continue to advocate for and provide research-based education, tools, and resources to ensure the safest possible learning environment for the youth of our nation.
Founded by parents who lost children at Sandy Hook, Safe and Sound Schools is a national non-profit school safety advocacy and resource center that provides research-based tools and support for crisis-prevention, response, and recovery. Safe and Sound Schools is committed to protecting every school and every student, every day.
School safety is a complex, evolving challenge that intersects mental health, emergency preparedness, and community resilience. Safe and Sound Schools helps translate research and experience into training and best practices that protect students, staff, and communities.
The Safe and Sound Schools Comprehensive Framework for School Safety provides a critical shift from fragmented safety efforts to a fully integrated approach. By considering school safety from all angles, schools are able to address not just response, but also prevention, protection, and recovery. This holistic methodology ensures policies and practices are aligned and that stakeholders are equipped, elevating school safety from a checklist to a community-wide commitment.
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Safe and Sound Schools hosts safety summits and trainings around the nation, directly impacting more than 10,000 school leaders, law enforcement professionals, and safety leaders.
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The Safe and Sound Speakers Bureau is a network of over 30 industry experts providing training and consultation on a wide variety of topics, from suicide prevention to behavioral threat assessment, crisis response, and more.
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In addition to reaching individual schools and districts across the nation, Safe and Sound Schools programs, trainings, and resources have been adopted at the state-level in Arizona, Indiana, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and more.
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Michele Gay - Founder & Executive Director
Mother, educator, and co-founder of the national non-profit, Safe and Sound Schools, Michele Gay chose to take action after losing her daughter Josephine Grace on December 14, 2012, in the Sandy Hook School tragedy.
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Now a nationally recognized leader, public speaker, school safety advocate, and expert, Michele teaches and trains diverse audiences across the country. She regularly serves as a consultant to community institutions including schools, municipalities, houses of worship, educational and public safety leadership, state and federal leaders, and law enforcement agencies. The recipient of numerous national awards, Michele is a regular contributor to print, radio, and television outlets. As the primary author of Safe and Sound’s programs and materials, Michele is recognized as a visionary thought leader in the national policy discussions shaping school safety across the country.
Guided by a strongly held belief in the power of communities working together, Michele unites stakeholders of all disciplines and perspectives around Safe and Sound Schools’ Framework for Comprehensive School Safety, a holistic, community-based approach to support crisis prevention, response, and recovery. An educator, mother, and survivor of tragedy, Michele has a unique perspective and comprehensive understanding of this field. She has dedicated her life to honoring Josephine’s memory, and works every day to ensure that every school, every child, and every community are truly safe and sound.
Safe & Sound
PRESS CENTER
Safe and Sound Schools is uniquely positioned to respond to media needs related to school safety, violence prevention, crisis response, and recovery.
Areas of Focus
Michele Gay is frequently called on by major media outlets for expert commentary on school safety to comment on a variety of topics including: ​
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Averted school violence and prevention
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Behavioral threat assessment and management, including considerations for special needs populations
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Inclusive school safety (preparing for the safety of special populations)
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Crisis response and recovery
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Options-based emergency response
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Trauma-informed drills and crisis training
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Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and interventions
Recognition & Credibility
Serving as the primary representative of the organization through media and public speaking events, Michele’s expertise as reached over 32,000 school communities and over 500 federal, state and local agencies including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Justice (DOJ), US Secret Service, Homeland Security, Bureau of Justice Administration), US Department of Education (ED), and more.
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Awards Received:
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US Secret Service (USSS), Outstanding Assistance and Support of USSS National Threat
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Assessment Center’s Project, Protecting America’s Schools, 2020
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Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Champion in Education, 2020
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Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Presenter & Contributor, 2019
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Expert Presenter, Prep Talks 2018
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National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), Distinguished Lecturer, 2017
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Association of School Based Officials (ASBO), President’s Award, 2018
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Gavin de Becker Associates Advanced Threat Assessment & Management Academy, 2016
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New England Small Business Association, Innovation Award, 2015
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National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), School Safety Leadership, 2014
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Massachusetts Juvenile Police Officers Association (MJPOA), Appreciation of Service, 2014
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Professional Leadership
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Member, Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
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Member, Board of Directors, Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS)
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Professional Advisor, National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
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Advisor, National Fire Prevention Agency, (NFPA)
Recent Press Releases & Story Angles
Thought Leadership
Organizational Announcements
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Michele Gay Speaking Engagements and Keynote Appearances
Media Contact
Primary Media Contact: Kate Reynolds, Associate Deputy Director
Email: media@safesoundschools.org
Website: https://www.safesoundschools.org
More on Safe and Sound Schools'
Programs & Core Initiatives
Especially Safe
Especially Safe details how teams can plan and prepare, as well as teach and train, to meet the special needs of students, staff, and visitors in your school community – from developmental disabilities to communication challenges, medical needs to mobility challenges, and more.
Averted School Violence Database
The Averted School Violence Program creates a data-driven approach to stopping targeted school attacks by building sustainable, community-based prevention and intervention strategies.
Pathways for Prevention
Pathways for Prevention equips school communities to better understand and leverage tools such as Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to keep their campus safe. Participants learn violence prevention strategies, as well as targeted and intensive interventions for preventing and responding to violent behaviors.
Bright Futures
The Bright Futures Program at Safe and Sound Schools brings together faith-based organizations, human services agencies, and businesses in partnership with families and schools for a shared purpose: to quickly meet basic needs and create new opportunities for children and youth so they can succeed in school and beyond.