A school climate organization, Bridg-it, has just announced the launch of Bridg-it School, an online school safety solution for K-12 educators.

The program addresses “the full lifecycle of an incident, from reporting through resolution,” according to a press release.

According to the release, “Bridg-it School is the only comprehensive solution to address harmful situations by providing access to a Resource Center of curated content with restorative techniques that foster positive outcomes. With Bridg-it School, schools can quickly and effectively address incidents reported, aiding in the prevention of bullying and the promotion of safer school environments.”

“The proliferation of smartphones and the use of social media has dramatically changed the face of bullying and how we need to address it,” said Dominick D’Angelo, Principal of I.S. 228 David A. Boody Junior High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., in the release. “Bridg-it School is enabling us to handle harmful situations quickly and efficiently with a streamlined process. As a result, our students are more empowered and feel that they are being heard. Teachers feel confident that there is an easy-to-use and compliant process for addressing harmful behaviors in an effective manner.”

The release said the program is “available via computer, tablet or smartphone, Bridg-it School allows students, teachers, parents and administrators to securely file a confidential report in less than one minute, from anywhere at any time.”

“The robust, easy-to-use solution immediately alerts the appropriate stakeholders when a report is filed, and also provides to educators valuable aggregated data about a school’s behavioral climate and trends in real time,” said the release. “In addition, Bridg-it School allows for easy compliance with state-mandated reporting, saving significant administrative time.”

According to the release, “Bridg-it School has a unique set of features and functionality that arms students, parents, faculty and administrators with the tools needed to build constructive learning communities, including:

• Rapid, real-time, confidential reporting – file a report confidentially at anytime from anywhere, in less than one minute
• Simplified compliance requirements – satisfy the current federal and state statutes, regulations and best practices regarding digital data storage and communication, as well as compliance requirements for state bullying reporting
• Streamlined platform – save valuable time on the easy-to-learn and easy-to-use platform
• Valuable data – access real-time data on incidents and identify problems and trends
• All-inclusive solution – address the full lifecycle of an incident, from reporting through resolution
• Comprehensive Resource Center – access Social and Emotional Learning curricula, restorative activities and interventions, as well as education and tips for teachers, parents and students

“Reporting is just the first step in addressing harmful situations. With our approach, schools can ensure that all incidents are addressed appropriately and that everyone – from the student to the parent to the school faculty and administration – feels confident that there is a process that is secure, compliant and supportive,” said Jeff Ervine, Founder and President of Bridg-it, in the release. “Bridg-it School was designed to serve as a catalyst for the social, emotional and cultural changes that today’s schools need to address with new online communication modes. By addressing bullying in a more holistic fashion, we can help schools and communities make measurable progress towards building safer, more positive learning environments.”

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor