Meet the CSS Team
Michelle Kern
Coordinator
Michelle Kern leads statewide initiatives that strengthen school safety, behavioral health and trauma-informed practices across Pennsylvania. She develops professional learning, provides technical assistance and conducts comprehensive school safety assessments. Michelle is approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to conduct Behavioral Health and Climate Assessments and Physical Security Assessments and has supported more than 200 assessments. She is also a certified trainer in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines. Michelle is committed to helping schools create safe, supportive learning environments where students and staff can thrive.
Madelyn Roman-Scott
Coordinator
Madelyn Roman-Scott supports school districts across Pennsylvania as they implement federally funded safety and school climate initiatives. With more than a decade of experience in justice reform, school safety and youth-serving systems, she brings stakeholders together to develop practical, sustainable solutions that strengthen school communities. Madelyn holds a Master of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership and is a fellow of the Youth Justice Leadership Institute. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she is committed to fostering collaboration and creating safer, more supportive environments for young people.
Michelle Hill
Project Specialist
Michelle Hill supports statewide initiatives through program coordination, data management and responsive customer service. Her detail-oriented and collaborative approach helps projects operate efficiently while ensuring staff and partners have the information and support they need. Michelle holds a degree in business management from Southern Technical College and has completed professional training in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines and Emergency Operations Plans for K–12 Schools. She is committed to strengthening the systems and day-to-day operations that help create safe, supportive school communities.
Leah Galkowski
Coordinator
Leah Galkowski has supported the work of Center for Safe Schools for more than 25 years. She provides training and technical assistance focused on bullying prevention, school climate, healthy relationships and social-emotional problem-solving. Leah is a certified trainer for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Safe Dates and I Can Problem Solve and serves as Pennsylvania’s state leader and a technical assistance consultant for the Olweus program. She is also certified in the school climate improvement process through National School Climate Center. Leah holds a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice with a minor in Spanish from Penn State University.
Korinne Day
Coordinator
Korinne Day specializes in bullying prevention, behavioral health, trauma-informed practices and crisis recovery. She provides training, consultation and technical assistance to schools across Pennsylvania and supports statewide school safety initiatives. Korinne is a certified trainer in the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Stewards of Children® and PREPaRE crisis prevention and response. Her professional background includes mental health, victim advocacy, prevention education and child welfare. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Lock Haven University and is completing a master’s degree in leadership and management.
Karen Lehman
Director
Karen Lehman provides leadership for programs that strengthen safe and supportive environments for children, youth and families. Since joining Center for Schools and Communities in 2005, she has supported initiatives serving pregnant and parenting students, individuals experiencing homelessness, youth in afterschool programs, children and families involved in foster care and migrant populations. Karen holds a doctorate in social work from Millersville University and values the intersection of education and social work. She is passionate about coaching staff, building leadership capacity and creating the conditions in which people can thrive.
Stephanie Colvin Roy
Lead International Trainer
Stephanie Colvin Roy has more than two decades of experience in prevention education and youth development. At Center for Schools and Communities, she provides professional learning, consultation and technical assistance to schools and youth-serving organizations. Stephanie serves as lead international trainer and program manager for I Can Problem Solve and Raising a Thinking Child. A former adjunct professor, she is certified in Pennsylvania’s Student Assistance Program, Lifelines Suicide Prevention, I Can Problem Solve and Lions Quest. She also served on the Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals board for 10 years.
Courtney Maurer
Project Specialist
Courtney Maurer connects people, programs and educational opportunities through partnership development and project support. Her experience spans early childhood through K–12 education and includes leading child care operations, supporting school-based services, coordinating career exploration and educator development, and building regional partnerships. Courtney has collaborated with students, families, educators, school psychologists, school districts, businesses and community organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, magna cum laude, from West Chester University and values creating connections that strengthen opportunities for children, schools and communities.
Center for Safe Schools History
In 1995, Act 26, the Safe Schools Act, created an Office of Safe Schools within the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Under the direction of the Department of Education, Center for Safe Schools (CSS) was created to perform many of the duties defined by Act 26. These duties included data collection, assisting schools in meeting the requirements of Act 26 and providing resources to educators on a variety of programs and issues.
Center for Safe Schools was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and National Crime Prevention Council as one of first 20 Statewide School Safety Centers in the nation. Under Governor Tom Ridge, the Children’s Cabinet partnered with Dan Olweus and Center for Safe Schools to bring the evidence-based program, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) to the commonwealth. Pennsylvania brought the first cadre of trainers to the United States to implement the program statewide. In December 1999, 39 professionals were brought to the Masonic Homes in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania to become certified OBPP trainers.
Since December 1999, CSS has coordinated the Pennsylvania Bullying Prevention Network with ongoing professional development and a referral process for those in need of bullying prevention training. Currently, there are over 80 members across the commonwealth. CSS organized and hosted the 2018 and 2019 Bullying Prevention Day rally held in the Capitol rotunda in Harrisburg. Through a longtime partnership with Highmark Foundation, CSS launched Connect. Care. Champion: A Middle School Bullying Toolkit website in 2019. The bullying prevention toolkit websites were incorporated into the CSS website’s bullying prevention section, in 2024.
CSS is known for best practices related to door numbering for schools. The guide is available for free here.
In 2023, CSS worked with partner Slidesoft to create a nationwide easy to use physical safety assessment and behavioral health/school climate assessment tool. This tool creates a more standardize process for assessments and decreases the reporting writing time for assessors.
CSS has a long history of partnership with key state agencies concerned about school safety including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
Through Center for Safe Schools’ expert staff, as well as access to a network of state and national researchers and practitioners, CSS will continue to provide exceptional professional learning, technical assistance and resources to schools and their community partners throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.