NHA Schools Celebrate Safe Schools Week

Schools used engaging activities and practiced safety drills to promote a secure learning environment

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe Schools Week, taking place from Oct. 19-25, is celebrated annually across the country, and National Heritage Academies® (NHA) partner-schools are promoting safety with a focus on informative drills, engaging meetings with local first responders, and fun schoolwide initiatives.

NHA Director of Safety and Health Brian Gard leads the organization's nationally recognized safety program. He serves on the board of directors for the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) and partners with safety experts across the country to ensure NHA remains an industry leader in safety.

Gard said safety is always one of the organization's top priorities, adding safety is one of NHA's brand promises. He also shared his gratitude for each school's safety specialist and their work in making Safe Schools Week memorable for students.

"We love to see all of our schools showing their commitment to providing a safe learning environment," Gard said. "We encourage schools to participate in this nationwide celebration of safety because we want them to dedicate time to practicing drills and promoting safety. Whether a Kindergartener is learning about fire trucks, or a middle-school student creates an online safety poster, all of these efforts can help make schools safer."

Schools across the country in NHA's network, which includes 103 schools in nine states, celebrated with a variety of activities for students. Programming spanned topics such as weather safety, best practices for safe online interaction, and healthy habits.

At the Pathway School of Discovery in Dayton, Ohio, scholars competed in the Safety Olympics. Each homeroom class earned points for displaying safety in school, correctly answering safety trivia questions, and winning a safety poster contest. The class with the most points at the end of Safe Schools Week earns a class party and the right to keep the Safety Bobcat plush toy in their classroom all year long.

Incentivizing safety makes it a positive experience for students while reinforcing best practices to ensure a safe environment. Pairing this activation with multiple safety drills and partnership with local safety experts, students were eager to practice safety.

Gate City Charter Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, had a special theme for each day of their Safe Schools Week celebration. The school tied each topic to a popular children's educational television show: The Magic School Bus. Scholars learned about fire safety, health and hygiene, and weather safety with matching spirit days. Keeping safety engaging for students makes for impactful lessons and lasting memories.

"I am always amazed at the creativity our educators and school leaders have in creating safety programming," Gard said. "They turn simple safety concepts into something fun and engaging for students."

In Waukesha, Wisconsin, Mill Creek Academy's entire building joined together to commit to safety. Students and staff signed their names to a safety pledge on a large banner in one of the school's main hallways. With everyone showing their dedication to keeping school secure, they're allowing classrooms to remain focused on learning.

When students get a glimpse of safety in action, they're able to see all the moving parts in keeping their school and community safe. Combine these hands-on lessons and projects with Gard's expertise and NHA schools are inspiring students to practice safety, transforming lives one initiative at a time.

About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies® (NHA) is a network of 103 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 68,000 students in kindergarten through 12^th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com. To find the nearest charter school near you, use the NHA school finder.

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SOURCE National Heritage Academies