Mayor Bowser Awards $8.8M for Safe Passage Program to Keep Students Safe

(Washington, DC) - Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) awarded $8.8 million to five community-based organizations for the Fiscal Year 2027 Safe Passage, Safe Blocks program. The Safe Passage program places 200 Safe Passage Ambassadors along more than 129 pre-determined routes to support students as they travel to and from school.

"Safe Passage is about more than having Ambassadors along school routes; it is about creating a network of trusted adults who know our neighborhoods and are committed to supporting our young people," said Deputy Mayor Lindsey Appiah. "Through consistent engagement, relationship-building, and coordination with schools and communities, our Safe Passage Ambassadors help students feel safe, supported, and connected as they travel to and from school."

Safe Passage provides monitoring and impactful engagement services along routes and near Metro stops in 11 priority areas: Anacostia, Brookland, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, Eastern/Stadium Armory, Fort Totten, Minnesota Avenue, NoMa, Petworth/Brightwood, Potomac Avenue, and Tenleytown.

Safe Passage consists of several components, including:

• Overseeing student commute routes within designated priority areas.
• Collaborating with schools, District agency staff, other Safe Passage teams, and the local community to identify, intervene, de-escalate, and report incidents of community violence.
• Promoting consistent attendance by encouraging students to attend classes daily and on time.
• Engaging with students, families, businesses, civic associations, institutional facilities, and community members in the priority areas to foster support for the Safe Passage program.
• Ensuring staff suitability and active participation in all training and technical assistance programs.
• Gathering and analyzing program data to identify trends and ensure effective program implementation.

The grantees and priority area assignments for Fiscal Year 2027 include:

Residents and students can spot Safe Passage Ambassadors throughout the community with their recognizable green vests.

For more information, visit safepassage.dc.gov.

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