A Nonprofit Network Built to Serve

LAPSEN is a nonprofit organization run by educators and industry experts.

Our decisions are guided by what helps schools, instructors, students, and the law and public safety workforce—not by selling a particular product or service. Our national network allows us to share lessons learned, promising practices, specialized expertise, and practical solutions from programs across the country. We are here to listen, help, and serve.

Every school, district, and program is different. LAPSEN can provide targeted assistance for one specific need or help you examine your entire program.

Customized Training and Professional Development

Bring LAPSEN to your school, district, regional meeting, or state conference. We can develop professional development around the needs of your teachers, administrators, counselors, work-based learning coordinators, and industry partners.

Training may be delivered in person or virtually and can include:

  • New instructor orientation and support
  • Customized workshops for teachers and program leaders
  • Pathway-specific instructional training
  • Microcredential and certification training
  • Classroom management and student engagement
  • Scenario-based and hands-on instruction
  • Industry and workforce updates
  • Program administration and improvement
  • Advisory committee development
  • Work-based learning in law and public safety

Tell us what your team needs. We will help design the training.

Curriculum, Courses, and Standards

LAPSEN develops and maintains national course standards with input from experienced educators and industry professionals. We can help schools and districts use those resources to strengthen local programs without losing sight of local and state requirements.

Our support can include:

  • Developing or revising local course standards
  • Designing a new course or career pathway
  • Reviewing curriculum for gaps and unnecessary duplication
  • Aligning instruction with industry expectations
  • Developing a logical sequence of courses
  • Integrating credentials and microcredentials
  • Identifying lesson plans and instructional resources
  • Building hands-on, project-based, and scenario-based learning
  • Connecting local standards to national models

Our national courses and standards are designed as guides. We help you adapt them to serve your students, community, and workforce.

The Law And Public Safety Education Network (LAPSEN) has been the cornerstone to teacher development and student success in Baltimore City Public Schools.  Having the pathway development, curricula support, and industry partnership across three pathways in one place has been one of the contributing factors to student certification increases and teacher satisfaction. The care and support the LAPSEN family offer through visits, supervision and network development ensures that district leaders, administrators and teachers have what they need to ensure their programs are a great success.  

Celina A Acham, Manager – Career Readiness/CTE, Baltimore City Public Schools 

Program Development and Improvement

Starting or expanding a law and public safety program can involve hundreds of decisions. LAPSEN can help you make those decisions with greater confidence.

We can assist with:

  • New program planning
  • Pathway selection and sequencing
  • Program goals and long-term planning
  • Student recruitment and retention
  • Instructor qualifications and professional development
  • Classroom and lab design
  • Scheduling and course structure
  • Career and Technical Student Organization integration
  • Community and industry partnerships
  • Program evaluation and continuous improvement

We work across law enforcement, corrections and detention, emergency communications and dispatch, emergency management, firefighting and public safety, investigations and forensics, legal studies, security and protective services, drones, and related pathways.

Policy and Administrative Guidance

Law and public safety programs sometimes face questions that do not have simple answers. Safety, student participation, industry involvement, credentials, and hands-on instruction can all create unique policy considerations.

LAPSEN can help program leaders think through:

  • Program policies and procedures
  • Safety practices and risk-management concerns
  • Student participation requirements
  • Instructor and industry-partner roles
  • Credentialing and testing policies
  • Documentation and program records
  • Budget and resource planning
  • Local program guidelines
  • Questions involving unusual or emerging program issues

We provide practical guidance informed by what schools and successful programs are doing across the country.

Equipment, Facilities, and Safety

Knowing what to purchase—and what not to purchase—can save a program significant time and money.

LAPSEN can help with:

  • Equipment and supply recommendations
  • Classroom and laboratory planning
  • National recommended supply and equipment lists
  • Purchasing priorities
  • Safety considerations
  • Technology and simulation equipment
  • Budget development
  • Grant-related planning
  • Evaluating products and vendor proposals

Our goal is to help you make informed decisions based on educational value, program goals, student safety, and realistic budgets.

Advisory Committee Development

A strong advisory committee should do more than meet once or twice a year. It should help a program stay connected to employers, postsecondary education, community needs, and workforce expectations.

LAPSEN can help you:

  • Recruit the right advisory members
  • Establish meaningful roles and expectations
  • Plan productive meetings
  • Develop agendas and documentation
  • Use advisory input to improve curriculum
  • Connect employers with instructors and students
  • Strengthen community support
  • Turn recommendations into action

Work-Based Learning and Career Pipelines

Work-based learning in law and public safety comes with challenges that many other career areas do not face. Age restrictions, confidentiality, liability, safety, and agency policies can limit traditional placements.

LAPSEN understands those challenges.

We can help schools, agencies, and workforce partners develop appropriate experiences such as:

  • Career awareness and exploration
  • Job shadowing
  • Agency tours
  • Guest instruction and mentoring
  • Simulations and scenario-based experiences
  • Cadet and youth public safety programs
  • Internships and other supervised experiences
  • Career academies
  • Postsecondary and agency partnerships
  • Long-term recruitment and career pipelines

Credentials, Microcredentials, and Program Recognition

LAPSEN helps schools identify credentials that are appropriate for secondary and postsecondary learners and connected to genuine industry expectations.

We can provide guidance on:

  • Selecting appropriate credentials
  • Understanding credential levels
  • Preparing instructors
  • Aligning credentials with curriculum
  • Developing student assessment plans
  • Implementing LAPSEN microcredentials
  • Meeting state or local credentialing expectations
  • Preparing for LAPSEN’s National Industry Certified Program of Excellence process

Make LAPSEN Your First Call

You do not need to spend hours searching for answers or making major program decisions without support.

LAPSEN connects you with educators, program leaders, state officials, and industry specialists who understand law and public safety education. If we already know the answer, we will share it. If the issue requires additional expertise, we will help connect you with someone who can fill the gap.

Our purpose is to help you:

  • Make informed decisions
  • Avoid costly mistakes
  • Find proven resources
  • Strengthen your teachers
  • Build stronger partnerships
  • Improve student preparation
  • Explain and defend program decisions
  • Walk into meetings prepared to be the smartest person in the room

You lead the program. You should never have to lead it alone.

Support Built Around Your Needs

LAPSEN assistance can be designed for:

  • Individual programs
  • Secondary schools and career academies
  • Postsecondary institutions
  • School districts
  • Regional education agencies
  • State departments of education
  • Career and technical education organizations
  • Instructor and administrator groups

Support may include a brief consultation, resource review, virtual meeting, customized training, on-site visit, curriculum project, program assessment, or ongoing technical assistance.

What Does Your Program Need?

You do not need to have the solution before contacting us. Start by telling us what you are trying to accomplish, what challenge you are facing, or where you need additional expertise.

We will help you determine the next step.

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