• Verbal de‑escalation

• Trauma‑informed communication

• Conflict prevention

• Observation & situational awareness

• Building rapport with youth

• Supporting teachers during high‑stress moments

• Law enforcement

• Probation & parole

• Juvenile justice

• Social services

• Victim advocacy

• Community safety roles

This is supervised, real‑world experience — not simulations, not case studies, not theory.

Across the country, educators report that school violence and aggression surged after COVID‑19. National surveys from the American Psychological Association show:

• Violence and threats against teachers increased beyond pre‑pandemic levels.

• 57% of teachers considered leaving the profession due to student aggression and burnout.

• Schools saw a rise in fights, dysregulated behavior, and serious incidents, even as academic recovery demands grew.

• The Educator’s School Safety Network found that violent incidents remain higher than before the pandemic, even when excluding swatting and hoax threats.

This is not a discipline issue — it is a youth mental‑health crisis showing up in classrooms.

Post‑pandemic violence and emotional dysregulation are still affecting classrooms across Ohio ().

Teachers need support. Students need connection. Schools need more adults who can help stabilize the learning environment.

And you need meaningful experience that sets you apart in your field.

This is where those two needs meet.

Teachers report that post‑pandemic aggression is one of the top reasons they consider leaving. Mentors:

• Reduce classroom disruptions

• Support de‑escalation

• Increase student engagement

• Allow teachers to focus on instruction

• Improve attendance and behavior through consistent relationships

Every mentor added to a classroom multiplies the school’s capacity to keep students safe.

Teachers report that post‑pandemic aggression is one of the top reasons they consider leaving. Mentors:

• Reduce classroom disruptions

• Support de‑escalation

• Increase student engagement

• Allow teachers to focus on instruction

• Improve attendance and behavior through consistent relationships

Every mentor added to a classroom multiplies the school’s capacity to keep students safe.

Criminology and criminal justice majors study human behavior, conflict, and the root causes of harm.

Classrooms give them a unique opportunity to:

• Practice verbal de‑escalation in real‑time

• Support youth during moments of frustration or conflict

• Strengthen observation and situational‑awareness skills

• Learn trauma‑informed communication

• Build rapport with diverse youth populations

• Understand early‑stage behaviors that can escalate without support

These experiences directly prepare students for careers in law enforcement, probation, corrections, social services, and community safety roles.

Donors and partners can make the single most effective, scalable investment in school safety by funding trained, school‑based mentors.

Your support:

• Places more caring adults in classrooms where students need them most

• Strengthens mental‑health protective factors proven to reduce violence

• Helps schools stabilize climate without relying on punitive measures

• Provides equity for families who cannot afford tutoring or outside support

• Builds a pipeline of trained, trauma‑informed young professionals serving their communities

This is a safety strategy, a mental‑health strategy, and an academic‑recovery strategy — all in one.