February 17, 2027
FEBRUARY 18-19, 2027
Meet Our Speakers
Meet the leading experts bringing research, real-world experience, and practical solutions to the symposium.
Featured Experts & Leaders
Speakers and sessions are subject to change.
Hunter Mcleod
Senior Director & School Safety Coordinator
Regional School Safety Center | North Central ESD 171
I Love U Guys Foundation
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU)
Access the Expense Approval Request Letter
Securing funding approval can involve a lot of paperwork. We are here to support you as much as possible, which is why we have created a customizable template that helps you build a clear, compelling case for attending this year’s symposium. It covers the value, breaks down the costs, and outlines exactly how you’ll bring it back to the team.
Copy, paste, and personalize the Expense Approval Request Email
Dear [Supervisor/Administrator],
I request approval to attend Safer Schools Together’s (SST) 19th Annual Gangs, Guns & School Safety Training Symposium. This investment directly supports our school safety, behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM), gang prevention, student wellness, and violence prevention priorities by providing current intelligence, practical strategies, and resources. I will bring back key takeaways, trends, tools, and resources to share with our team upon my return.
Tools, Trends, Resources, and Key Takeaways
Threat Assessment and Digital Leakage. Strengthen early identification, assessment, intervention, and safety planning through Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment® (BDTA) and Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA) insights.
Radicalization and Emerging Online Trends. Build awareness of online recruitment, extremist grooming, Nihilistic Violent Extremism (NVE), violent online communities like the TCC and 764, social media, and AI-generated content affecting youth.
Gangs, Guns, and GRIP. Explore gang recruitment, youth access to weapons, 3D-printed firearms, and prevention and intervention approaches, including Gang Reduction Through Informed Practice (GRIP).
Parent/Caregiver Guide and Practical Resources. Bring back parent and caregiver digital safety guidance, 764/radicalization guides, tools, session materials, and resources to support staff education, family engagement, and multidisciplinary teams.
Case Lessons and Professional Collaboration. Learn from real-world cases and connect with education, law enforcement, SRO, mental health, and public safety professionals to strengthen coordinated prevention and response.
Return on Investment
Within 30 days of returning, I will brief our internal safety team, share available resources, and recommend three practical improvements to our assessment, prevention, or parent education practices. This extends the benefit beyond one attendee and turns specialized professional development into an actionable plan for our organization.
Estimated Registration and Travel Costs
| Expense | Estimate |
| Training symposium registration and applicable taxes | $ |
| Optional February 17 pre-conference and applicable taxes | $ |
| Round-trip airfare or mileage | $ |
| Hotel nights × $ including taxes and fees | $ |
| Ground transportation and parking | $ |
| Meals not included and other approved expenses | $ |
| Total requested • Currency [USD / CAD] | $ |
In-person registration includes two meals and printed materials. A reduced Westin Bayshore rate is available ($299 CAD). Budget only for meals not provided; use current quotes and one currency throughout. Both in-person/virtual attendees receive a certificate of completion.
Thank you for considering this request and the opportunity to strengthen our organization’s capacity to identify concerns earlier and intervene effectively.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Title]
[District/Agency]
Better Insights as a Team
Register 5 members of your team and get the 6th registration at no additional cost. Give your whole team access to the skills, strategies, and connections for safer communities.
