The New Safe: stories from the frontlines of school safety

What does it mean to feel safe and be safe at school?

This month marks the anniversaries of the shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech. And while the continuous news cycle can make school shootings seem like an epidemic, below the surface, school communities are changing and rethinking ways to protect students. PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs and the Student Television Network asked scholastic broadcast journalism programs across the United States to tell their own stories.

The students reported on how social media threats affects school culture, the changing roles of armed guards, metal detectors and new entry procedures, how administrators are using technology as a safety tool, and shifting ideas about integrating security into architecture, including the new design for Sandy Hook elementary school.

Finding a balance between school security and a comfortable learning environment is a challenge many schools face. Stay tuned as more youth reporters file stories from around the country and continue the conversation at #thenewsafe.