UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Union County Public Schools are expanding their efforts to keep students safe. They've joined the state in launching an app called "Say Something."
It's a free app where middle and high school students can anonymously report potential dangers. It can range from weapons to bullying, even self-harm.
"This is going to be a powerful tool," State Superintendent Mark Johnson said.
It trains kids to spot at-risk behavior, and report it. A command center will vet every tip. It's about preventing disaster in schools instead of reacting to them.
"This is about how you change a culture to really look out for each other and giving the kids the control over their environment and what they do, versus saying that this is-- this is an unsafe environment and you need to practice running and hiding," said co-founder of The Sandy Hook Promise, Nicole Hockley.
Hockley lost her six-year-old son Dylan in the Sandy Hook Shooting. She believes he might still be alive if someone had spoken up.
"I made a promise to him seven years ago that I would do everything I could to honor his legacy," Hockley said. "This is part of honoring that promise, saving others' lives in his name."
North Carolina has tried the app as a pilot program in dozens of schools, and in some cases, they were getting 40 tips a week.
Now the app is part of a statewide program, but it has yet to roll out across all of North Carolina.
Students in Union County Public Schools can use the app. It officially launched about a week ago.