Building Safer Communities: Reducing Community and School Violence

Regional Summits on Issues that Matter

THursday, June 5, 2025 | 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | Ware Center 
Global Goals for Sustainable Development

Event Details: 

Millersville University will host its 5th Annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Conference on Thursday, June 5, 2025, focusing on "Building Safer Communities: Reducing Community and School Violence." This one-day conference will take place at The Ware Center in downtown Lancaster, PA from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, bringing together policymakers, community leaders and advocates, agency heads and staff, and educators to address one of today's most pressing social challenges.

Community violence remains a profound and urgent challenge impacting individuals and families across our region, the Commonwealth, and the nation. In Pennsylvania alone, community violence results in the injury or loss of 4,600 lives each year, according to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. While collaboration across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors has led to important progress, critical gaps remain.

The conference aims to facilitate meaningful dialogue on innovative solutions, best practices, and resource sharing to promote peace, justice, and community safety in alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

The day-long event will feature:

  • Keynote addresses from regional experts on violence prevention and community resilience
  • Interactive workshops led by successful community and school safety innovators
  • Panel discussions with local and regional leaders
  • Networking opportunities for participants to build meaningful connections
  • Resource fair showcasing tools and programs for violence reduction

Conference participants will explore various approaches to reducing violence, trauma-informed community building, successful school safety initiatives, and collaborative models that have shown measurable results in communities across the region and the Commonwealth.

This event is hosted by the Office of Community Engagement, Governmental, and Economic Development (CEGED), the Millersville University School of Social Work, and the Office of Sustainability. 

CEUs will be offered for this event

Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to address poverty and hunger, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change, by 2030.

A few years into the aggressive agenda, there is evidence of progress across the private and nonprofit sectors, and within federal, state, and local governments. Civil society is translating this shared vision into plans and strategies. The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint for achieving a better and more sustainable future for all.

Millersville University’s Link to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Millersville University has adopted the UN SDGs as an action item in our 2025 Strategic Plan – “Tradition and Transformation.” By 2025, we seek to expand curricular and co-curricular experiences that support Sustainable Development Goals. We also recognize our public mission to enhance the economic and social well-being of our region by advancing knowledge transfer and best practices. Hosting annual conferences of practitioners, policy leaders, and community advocates to support a shared understanding of the SDGs and accelerate the adoption of best practices aligns with our public mission and our strategic goals.

Learn more about the conference by contacting the Office of Community Engagement, Governmental and Economic Development at 717-871-5955 or Victor.Desantis@millersville.edu.