Amy Schell blends insurance leadership and school safety advocacy

Amy Schell, a senior Farmers Insurance executive in Washington state and founder of the Foundation for Safer Schools, is using her business background to push prevention-focused school safety programs across Idaho and beyond. In 2026, the foundation says it helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant and private funding as schools face rising safety and resource pressures.

Why it matters: - Amy Schell is pairing executive leadership with school safety advocacy at a time when schools are facing tighter budgets, burnout and escalating safety threats. - The Foundation for Safer Schools aims to restore confidence for students, families and educators by focusing on prevention before emergencies happen. - The foundation’s work matters in Idaho and other communities dealing with school safety concerns and the fentanyl crisis.

What happened: - Amy Schell is the Founder and President of the Foundation for Safer Schools and Senior Managing Director for Farmers Insurance in Washington state. - Schell built her career over more than 20 years in insurance leadership and nonprofit work. - She founded the Foundation for Safer Schools after seeing children enter school with fear instead of excitement. - The foundation says it serves schools across the Inland Northwest and nationwide.

The details: - Schell spent nearly nine years as a Montessori-style teacher before entering the insurance industry in 2004. - Her insurance career has included roles with American Family Insurance, Allstate and Farmers Insurance. - She has worked as an agency owner, district leader, state director and senior executive. - Schell holds Property and Casualty, Life and Health, and Securities licenses, including Series 6, 63 and 26. - She also holds the Chartered Leadership Fellow and LUTCF designations. - Her education includes a bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Management, study at Copenhagen Business School and the American College, and ongoing executive education in digital transformation, change management and nonprofit leadership. - The Foundation for Safer Schools is built around three pillars: Awareness, Education and Preparedness. - The foundation’s Parents on Patrol program places approved parent and community volunteers in key school areas such as parking lots, entrances, arrival zones, playgrounds and dismissal areas. - The foundation’s S.A.F.E. Schools Program provides training modules for teachers, administrators and staff on risk recognition, communication and a TEAM approach to safety. - The foundation’s R.E.A.L. Futures and R.E.A.L. Choices curricula teach age-appropriate safety awareness. - R.E.A.L. Futures is aimed at grades 6-9 and teaches Refuse, Explain, Avoid and Leave decision-making. - R.E.A.L. Choices introduces kindergarten through 5th-grade students to foundational safety habits. - The foundation also offers school safety training, violence prevention education, emergency preparedness, grant funding support and a free School Safety Guide for launching Parents on Patrol programs. - In 2026, the foundation says it helped secure hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant and private funding.

Between the lines: - Schell frames school safety as a daily prevention effort, not just a response to crises. - Her message centers on authenticity, trust and follow-through, especially with superintendents, educators and community partners. - She argues that the biggest challenge is urgency colliding with capacity, because schools often lack the money, training and staff to respond alone. - The foundation positions itself as a connector that helps communities move from concern to action.

What's next: - Schell says the foundation will keep expanding its role as a support system for schools that need practical safety tools and funding connections. - She continues to mentor women and emerging leaders while promoting community-based school safety initiatives. - Her broader public work includes service on a Chamber of Commerce membership and planning committee, as president of the LATIP organization, and as a member of the Idaho School Board Association and ASMAT’s Field Development Subcommittee. - More information is available through Amy Schell’s Influential Women profile and Foundation for Safer Schools.

The bottom line: - Schell is using private-sector leadership skills to build a school safety nonprofit focused on prevention, preparedness and restoring childhood joy.