OJJDP and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools will host the first-ever federal government conference on truancy prevention on December 6–8, 2004, in Washington, DC. The conference, “Partnering To Prevent Truancy: A National Priority,” will highlight promising and effective school- and community-based programs that rely on interagency cooperation to prevent truancy in urban, rural, suburban, and tribal communities. Participants will include educators, judges, law enforcement officers, social workers, school resource officers, community and business leaders, and representatives from faith-based organizations, parent groups, and national and local youth services agencies. Attendees will learn practical approaches to reduce truancy in their schools and communities.

Additional information about the conference, including registration instructions, is available on OJJDP's Web site (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp).