Everyone deserves to be safe.
That is why the Kids and the Block Awareness Program and Listen to Kids school-based programming have joined together to create Communities for Safe Kids, an innovative curriculum that draws from the latest research and methods on violence prevention.
That is why the Kids and the Block Awareness Program and Listen to Kids school-based programming have joined together to create Communities for Safe Kids, an innovative curriculum that draws from the latest research and methods on violence prevention.
Communities for Safe Kids combines the powerful, therapeutic nature of puppetry with thoughtful discussions and workshops for elementary school students in the Portland-metro area. With our shows, we present to children on how to deal with bullying or cyberbullying, how to identify and understand feelings, how to accept and celebrate differences, and how to get help with abusive situations. We are there as listeners and guides to children and schools who want support to talk about these difficult issues.
Communities for Safe Kids seeks to increasingly fill our community with positive and supportive conditions, leaving less and less room for violence and maltreatment.
Whole community: Research shows that effective violence prevention involves a child’s entire community – including teachers, school administrators, and families. Communities for Safe Kids requires trainings for both teachers and parents to take place before we work with students to ensure adults in a child’s life have access to consistent, relevant resources and tools they need to address these issues. Our trainings include discussions on the impact of bullying and abuse, inside and outside of the classroom; myths and facts on violence prevention; common concerns and questions from teachers and parents; how to introduce ideas with students and children through conversation, activities and books; and how to warmly and effectively respond to disclosures.
Whole child: A 2009 national study of more than 4,500 children ages 0-17 indicated more than 60 percent of children have witnessed or experienced violence in the past year.* Children who have been exposed to or experienced violence can have a diminished capacity to learn and retain information.
Communities for Safe Kids enhances positive social and emotional learning skills to maximize every child's ability to participate successfully in the classroom.
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Why do we need Communities for Safe Kids?
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Why do we need Communities for Safe Kids?
Children suffer higher rates of exposure to violence than do adults. In the first National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (2009), 60.6% of children 17 and under had witnessed or experienced a type of direct violence in the past year. Almost half experienced physical assault, 1 in 4 had witnessed violence in their community or home, 1 in 10 experienced child maltreatment. More than 38% experienced more than one exposure in the last year.
Such exposure is responsible for a considerable burden of physical and mental health illness in the U.S.
A groundbreaking study of over 17,000 adults known as the ACE Study (Adverse Childhood Experiences) linked the majority of the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. to the frequency and variety of exposures to violence adults had as children. www.ACEStudy.org
Universal, primary prevention programs that emphasize social and emotional learning with children are highly evidence based methods of violence reduction. Communities for Safe Kids supports the development of positive social and emotional skills to maximize every child's ability to participate successfully in school.
Communities for Safe Kids emphasizes community involvement; a key component of effective violence prevention. Research shows that effective violence prevention involves a child’s entire community – including teachers, school administrators, and families.
Communities for Safe Kids provides trainings for both teachers and parents before we work directly with students to ensure adults in a child’s life – parents, caregivers, teachers, school counselors and other community members – have access to relevant resources and tools they need to support these issues.
Communities for Safe Kids seeks to increasingly fill our community with positive and supportive conditions, leaving less and less room for violence and maltreatment.
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Want to volunteer? Becoming a puppeteer is a great way to have a positive influence in the lives of children. No experience is needed; we provide all the training, equipment and materials you need to get started. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer puppeteer, please contact Kate at 503-988-6127 ext. 248 or email kblackmore@impactnw.org.
