Ellen Bass, Kidpower Advocate and author of "The Courage to Heal"
Endorsements for Kidpower
Ellen Bass, Co-Author of The Courage to Heal and Free Your Mind and Founding Board President of Kidpower
"As someone who has worked with thousands of survivors of child abuse, I particularly recommend the Kidpower programs because of their excellent balance of building self worth while focusing on prevention skills to set boundaries appropriately and to avoid confrontation in order to stop most trouble before it starts. Kidpower’s programs for children offer effective tools for protecting children from harm in a way that builds their confidence rather than creating anxiety. For adult survivors, Fullpower programs offer a way to take back their power on a physical and emotional level. For all of us, they offer a way to free ourselves from fear."
Gavin de Becker, violence prediction expert and best-selling author of The Gift of Fear and Protecting the Gift
"Kidpower has an exceptional track record in the field of personal safety and violence prevention. For 30 years, I’ve advised major media figures, government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and universities on the prediction and prevention of violence. I’ve learned that no aspect of a security program is more important than accurately assessing potential safety hazards before they evolve. Kidpower gives people the opportunity to take charge of their own safety by assisting in the development of skills to assess, avoid, de-escalate, and escape from violent or abusive situations. Personal safety training that fosters worry or anxiety is counterproductive. Kidpower workshops help to reduce worry by promoting confidence and personal power."
From Other Crime Prevention, Health, and Mental Health Experts
Terry Medina, Former Chief of Police, Watsonville City Police Department
"I believe that the Kidpower program has an outstanding track record for teaching effective skills without creating fear in children. I am happy to give a strong endorsement."
James Crawford, M.D. and Susan Murray, LCSW, Oakland Children’s Hospital Child Protection Center
"The Kidpower program stands out among child abuse prevention programs due to a variety of factors including: content integrity, developmental and situational appropriateness, focus on skills and action, and efficiency and practicality."
Howard Skerry, Chief of Police, Santa Cruz City Police Department
"Our department has been collaborating with Kidpower on providing workshops to our community for children along with their parents or other grownups. We have been impressed with the effectiveness of the Kidpower approach and the professionalism of their staff. The personal safety skills that Kidpower teaches are helpful to deter most kinds of assault, abduction, child abuse, and bullying."
Barbara Ridley, FNP, Nurse Practitioner, Alta Bates Rehabilitation Center
"The workshop for the Disabled Community Health Clinic gave our clients valuable skills that they can use to keep themselves safe out in the world and impressed our staff who can pass these skills on to other clients."
"I feel much more prepared to talk about these scary issues in a matter of fact and clear way. I know how to show my students what to do instead of just telling them."
From a school teacher
From Educators
Olga de Santa Anna, Principal, Mintie White School
"The Kidpower program is far more effective than other bullying prevention programs in that it gives the children the opportunity to learn the skills by practicing them. The cartoon illustrations, stories and role-plays are ideal ways for children to integrate the skills of personal safety and can be easily integrated into our literacy programs. Kidpower has been a tremendous benefit to our school community."
Helga Cohen, MFT, Head of Counseling, French American International School
"Kidpower’s presentation gave our students an opportunity to reflect on their interactions with people in their lives, to think about how they are treated and how they would like to be treated and to make a plan for how to handle situations that make them uncomfortable. We believe that the ideas they were presented with and the skills they learned will be useful to them for the rest of their lives."
Silvana Mosca-Carreson, Director and Co-Founder, El Nuevo Mundo Children’s Center
"All of our teachers report feeling confident and successful in using the materials. The students enjoyed the lessons, practiced the skills, and began using the skills in their interactions with other children and adults. The children we teach face many challenges that can be barriers to preventing academic success, and the Kidpower skills are tools that will help them overcome many of these challenges."
Colleen B. Wilcox, Ph.D., Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools
"I would like to express my whole-hearted endorsement of the Kidpower self-protection programs. The Kidpower program and methodology reflect an understanding of and respect for the developmental needs of young people. At the same time, Kidpower addresses a concern of families and educators today: the need to protect children from abuse, abduction, and assault without generating fear in the process. Kidpower has provided invaluable service to our programs, students, teachers and staff members, including for all our Head Start teachers and family service staff and our Postsenior staff and students."
Hal Ledbetter, Director, Special Education Department, Santa Cruz County Office of Education
"The Kidpower program far exceeds other programs because it presents real situations to students and allows the positive experience of how to deal successfully with them."
Note: Kidpower received an special award from the County Office of Education in recognition of service to the community.