NRA School Shield Awards More Than $600,000 in Grants To Support School Security Projects Nationwide

NRA School Shield, in partnership with The NRA Foundation, has awarded more than $600,000 in grants to support vital school security projects and activities across the nation.  

A total of 54 grants were recommended to schools in 23 states, including both public and private K-12 educational institutions. Grants were awarded to eligible applicants for proposals that aimed to make our nation’s schools more secure by addressing known vulnerabilities through the implementation of industry best practices in security infrastructure, technology, personnel, training, and policy. 

“The NRA is proud to be at a forefront of providing meaningful solutions to safeguard our nation’s schools,” said NRA President Oliver North. “Protecting our most precious resource – our children – with substantive measures that work should be the top priority for all Americans. Thanks to the generous support of NRA members, many schools will now have the necessary funding to enhance their security.”

John Perren, Senior Advisor to the NRA Executive Vice President, added “funding is a persistent challenge in most communities. By working closely with our dedicated field staff, we were able to initiate this first national grant cycle and look forward to growing this critical element of the program for many years to come.”  

Grant funded activities include but are not limited to infrastructure enhancements and renovations, access control and visitor management systems, improved communications systems, emergency medicals kits, and perimeter fencing repairs and installation, as well as investments in life-saving training.   

“Our grant program is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to making our schools more secure and protecting our children,” said Sheila Brantley, Director of the NRA School Shield program. “We have made significant investments in helping stakeholders learn more about common vulnerabilities and best practices in terms of school security – even working with law enforcement and school leaders to standardize the process for conducting school vulnerability assessments through our Security Assessor Training program. With our grant program, schools in need have access to the funding necessary to make meaningful improvements.”

The NRA School Shield program was introduced in December 2012 as a new initiative focused on improving school security in an effort to help prevent national tragedies at educational institutions in America. Recognizing that school security is a complex issue with no simple, single solution, the NRA School Shield program is committed to addressing the many facets of school security, including best practices in security infrastructure, technology, personnel, training, and policy. Through this multidimensional effort, NRA School Shield seeks to engage communities and empower leaders to help make our schools more secure.

For more information about NRA School Shield, including resources, visit www.nraschoolshield.org, call (844) 467-7723, or email [email protected].