Dr. Sharon Jenkins talks OWL on Wyoming Public Radio as the program expands across the Northern Plains
- CATS2 Foundation
- Sep 4
- 2 min read
Our Executive Director, Dr. Sharon Jenkins, was recently interviewed on Wyoming Public Radio to talk about OWL for Schools, our emergency communication and orchestration product designed to help educators respond quickly during life threatening school emergencies. In the interview, she shared how OWL is already helping schools stay connected in crisis moments and announced exciting news: our Early Access Program is expanding into Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.
“The idea was to have a tool for schools that enabled them to communicate in the midst of chaos,” said Dr. Jenkins. “Every second saves a life.”
Developed specifically for Schools by The Center for Applied Technologies for School Security (CATS2), OWL for Schools is a mobile app and browser based situational awareness dashboard that lets teachers and school staff report emergencies, get real time guidance on how to respond, and communicate discretely under stress, during an emergency.
This fall, with support from the Double 4 Foundation in Casper, OWL will be introduced to more than 60 schools across the Northern Plains. The expansion builds on the success of the Early Access Program schools and brings the app to communities eager for new ways to improve school safety and preparedness.
The news was also shared by Survivors Path, an organization founded by survivors of the Columbine school shooting, who have been strong supporters of trauma-informed innovation in school safety.
“We believe communication can save lives,” Dr. Jenkins emphasized. “With OWL, schools don’t have to wait for help to arrive; they can act, connect, and support one another in real time.”
As the OWL Early Access Program grows, so does our focus on helping schools prepare with tools that are practical, realistic, and easy to use. Safe schools start with strong communities that find ways to look out for each other.
Check out Dr. Jenkins’s interview here!