Press Release Archive


In an effort to reach more people with Kidpower’s life-saving safety skills, Kidpower has implemented a PR outreach campaign (sponsored by Malachite Strategies) to spread the word about our programs and curriculum, major grants, organizational milestones, key partnerships, new publications, special outreach programs, expert reactions to news events, and advice (tips) about personal safety, confidence building and healthy relationships.

Contact media@kidpower.org for more information about a particular press release or to request an interview with Kidpower’s expert leaders.

(Click title to see full press release)

Kidpower is Poised to Become National Leader in Sexual Abuse Prevention
December 16, 2015 — National efforts are encouraging sexual abuse prevention education across the USA. Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International provides resources for schools to train students, teachers, staff and parents in abuse-prevention and personal-safety skills and strategies.

Little Pickle Press Partners with Kidpower to Release Updated Kidpower Safety Comics
September 1, 2015 — On September 29th, Little Pickle Press will begin distribution of three Kidpower titles, each of which is designed for a specific age group. These will include: Kidpower Safety Comics: People Safety Skills for Children Ages 3-10; Kidpower Youth Safety Comics: People Safety Skills for Kids Ages 9-14; and Fullpower Safety Comics: People Safety Skills for Teens and Adults.

“Informed by decades of experience, Irene van der Zande’s Kidpower Safety Comics offer children and their grown-ups an accessible and effective means to understand and practice safety and kindness principles,” says Rana DiOrio, Chief Pickle at Little Pickle Press and author of What Does It Mean To Be Safe?

Kidpower Launches First Annual International Child Protection Month in September
September 2, 2014 — Kidpower has launched an initiative to establish September as International Child Protection Month in celebration of its 25-year anniversary. “Our purpose is to honor, support and inspire adult leadership to protect children and teens from harm and empower them with skills to take charge of their own well-being,” said Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Executive Director and Founder. “We are inviting individuals and organizations from around the world to join us in actively committing to the safety of young people through this initiative.” Visit InternationalChildProtectionMonth.org  for free online resources and ways to get involved.

From Kidpower’s New Zealand Center: Award in line with 2 million people report
June 18, 2014 — Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower Trust’s Healthy Relationships Programme has been awarded the ACE Aotearoa Annual Award, Programme of the Year, Tangata Tiriti.

Kidpower Celebrates 25th Anniversary With International Conference and Three-day Summer Institute for Child Protection Advocates
June 12, 2014 — Kidpower marks its first quarter century of operations with an international conference and summer training institute. The “Together in Kidpower” conference will be held in Pacific Grove, California from July 11 to 13, immediately followed by the Child Protection Advocates Training Institute in Albany, near Berkeley. Journalists invited to attend portions of the conference and summer institute.

Practical Self-Defense Teaching Manual, “One Strong Move,” Uses Cartoon-Illustrations To Engage Teens And Adults In Learning How To Spot Danger And Stop An Attack
October 28, 2013 — Teaching practical self-defense to teens and adults is easy with the new teachers’ manual, “One Strong Move,” from Kidpower International, a leading personal safety skills education nonprofit. 150 pages of lesson plans, with teaching tips and cartoon-illustrated teaching aids to engage students, make preparing lessons and practices easy, safe and fun for busy physical education, martial arts, and classroom teachers.

National Youth Organizations Adopt Kidpower Child-Protection Curriculum: Videos Help Sports Coaches and Parents Prevent Child Sex Abuse, Featuring Green Bay Packers CEO
October 21, 2013 — Kidpower International, a leader in child-protection and personal safety skills education, has partnered with national non-profit, Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), to release a free educational video series, policy templates and safety tip handouts that adapt Kidpower’s curriculum to help youth and high school sports coaches, parents and organizational leaders prevent sex abuse. The resources and videos, introduced by Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, have been adopted by leading national youth sports organizations, including National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), US Lacrosse and USA Water Polo, and have spurred other national child advocacy organizations to adopt Kidpower’s confidence-building, skills-based “people safety” curriculum.

Become Certified to Teach Kids and Parents Kidpower’s Personal Safety Skills to Stop Bullying, Build Confidence, Practice Stranger Safety, and Prevent Abuse and Violence
September 17, 2013 — Kidpower, a leading global provider of child safety training and educational curriculum, is accepting applications for the January 2014 Kidpower Comprehensive Program Training. The training is for adults dedicated to improving child safety and the prevention of bullying, child abuse, kidnapping and other violence.

Kidpower’s Child Protection Skills And Leadership Training In Bay Area Draws Global Participation – Few Spots Available
July 11, 2013 — Kidpower, a leading child safety education nonprofit, will welcome professionals from around the world to San Francisco for its premiere “summer institute”. Organizers say there are just five spots left in the August 3-day training in child safety advocacy and leadership skills to protect children from abuse, abduction and bullying within their schools, youth programs, and communities.

Video – Kidpower’s Summer Safety Tips: Simple Skills to Help Kids Be Safer at Summer Camp & Rec Programs, at Home and on Trips
June 06, 2013 — In a new video, Child safety expert and author, Irene van der Zande, spells out simple steps parents can take and safety skills they can teach their kids before summer camp and recreational activities start, in ways that are fun and age-appropriate — “not scary or weird.” Van der Zande is the founder of Kidpower, a leading nonprofit in personal safety skills education, known for taking a positive, skills-based approach to preventing sexual abuse, kidnapping, bullying and other violence.

Kidpower’s 7 Tips For Parents To Find Meaningful End-Of-Year Gifts for Your Child’s Teacher
May 24, 2013 — Child safety expert and author, Irene van der Zande, offers parents seven tips for end-of-year gifts for teachers that can “show appreciation for the important role of teachers in a child’s life.” Van der Zande is the founder of Kidpower, a leading nonprofit providing personal safety skills education and resources, whose mission is to help people create cultures of caring, respect and safety.

San Francisco Tenderloin Women Say “No!” to Street Harassment: Safe Passage Sponsors Kidpower Adult Safety Skills Workshops and Resources
May 23, 2013 — Combating street harassment is the newest community safety outreach program being tackled by the Safe Passage Committee in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, which sponsored its second Fullpower personal safety workshop for women on Monday from Kidpower, a leading nonprofit that develops and teaches personal safety skills programs for people of all ages.

Kidpower Offers Summer Child Protection Skills and Leadership Training in San Francisco
May 14, 2013 — Kidpower, an internationally respected child safety advocacy and protection skills education nonprofit, launches its premiere summer institute this August in San Francisco to prepare educators and other professionals, volunteers, and parents with child safety advocacy and leadership skills to protect children from abuse, abduction and bullying within their schools, organizations, youth programs, communities and families.

St. Leo’s “Parents Night Out” Offers Kidpower Safety Workshop for Parents, Open to the Public
April 19, 2013 — St. Leo the Great School in San Jose makes child safety a priority, offering a free Kidpower People Safety Skills workshop on April 25 for parents to learn how to teach kids age-appropriate safety skills that promote stranger safety and prevent bullying, abuse and violence.

Study Shows Kidpower’s Program Improves Children’s Safety Skills Knowledge To Prevent Bullying, Abuse, And Abduction
April 18, 2013 — An independent study shows that children who participated in Kidpower’s Everyday Safety Skills Program had “significantly higher safety skills knowledge” after the program and that 31 percent more of the Kidpower students improved their safety skills knowledge over three months, compared with a comparison group of students who did not receive the Kidpower training until after the study was completed. The findings will be presented today at the 2013 Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting in Seattle.

Micro-Donations Help E. San Jose Low-Income School Implement Kidpower Bullying Prevention Programs
February 28, 2013 — Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in child safety and self-protection skills education, and Escuela Popular, an East San Jose school serving low-income kids, announce the launch of a “micro-donations” fundraiser to help bring Kidpower’s bullying prevention and healthy relationship skills training to the entire school community – the kids, teachers and parents. Donations will be doubled by a matching grant, which will enable the school to adopt Kidpower’s “people safety” curriculum into the school and community culture to benefit thousands of students and families over the next five years and beyond.

2012: (Click titles to see full press release)

Kidpower Programs Endorsed For Children With Disabilities In ASHA Leader Magazine Article “Protecting The Most Vulnerable From Abuse”
December 20, 2012 — Kidpower, an internationally acclaimed child safety education nonprofit, is endorsed in a recent ASHA Leader magazine feature article about child maltreatment and strategies to protect children with disabilities, “Protecting the Most Vulnerable from Abuse,” by Harold Johnson, professor of special education.

4 Tips for Fun, Safe Holiday Family Outings From Kidpower Personal Safety Expert
December 19, 2012 — Families can have more fun and less problems during the holiday season by making clear and realistic safety plans with children and teens before going shopping or to crowded public events, according to the safety experts at Kidpower, an internationally acclaimed personal safety education nonprofit. Kidpower has released the article, “4 Tips: Holiday Family Safety Plans For Going Out in Public,” to help prevent toddler meltdowns, getting lost, arguments, and accidents while families are out and about for the holidays.

The Gift of Safety: Kidpower Books Make It Easy and Fun To Help Kids Learn To Be Safe
December 17, 2012 — Kidpower, an internationally acclaimed safety education nonprofit, has re-released its introductory program guidebook: How to Teach Self-Protection and Confidence Skills to Young People — a perfect gift for parents and teachers looking for fun, innovative and effective ways to combat bullying, child abuse, kidnapping and other violence for their family members, and in their schools and communities.

Connecticut School Shooting: Kidpower Shows How To Empower Kids In The Face Of Violence
December 14, 2012 — Kidpower offers three articles, in English and Spanish, for parents and teachers help children cope with the news of a tragic mass-shooting today at a Connecticut elementary school. “Timing matters: kids are likely to be asking questions today,” says author Irene van der Zande,”how adults respond can make a big difference for children’s emotional well being.”

Kidpower Honored As 2012 Top-Rated Nonprofit — New GreatNonprofits.org Award is Based on Positive Online Reviews
December 06, 2012 — Kidpower announced today that it has been honored with a prestigious 2012 Top-Rated Award by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews about nonprofit organizations.

Video Shows Kidpower Story of Empowering Kids To Stop Bullying, Abuse and Violence
December 05, 2012 — Kidpower’s One Million Safer Kids initiative aims to create a safer world, one child at a time. A new video shares the Kidpower story and shows how kids can have fun learning how to be safe from bullying, abuse and violence. See the video at: www.kidpower.org/1M-Safer-Kids-Video/.

New Comic Book Helps Teens and Adults with Disabilities Stop Abuse, Bullying and Violence
November 26, 2012 — Comics make personal safety skills accessible and fun to learn for teens and adults with intellectual disabilities or limited literacy and language skills. Kidpower, a nonprofit leader safety skills education has released the Fullpower Safety Comics, the latest book in its Kidpower Safety Comics series by Irene van der Zande.

How To Make Family Holidays Great Instead Of Awful 
November 19, 2012 — Just in time for the holidays, author and relationship safety expert, Irene van der Zande, offers advice on how to make family gatherings “great instead of awful.”

Boy Scouts Integrity Shaken By Secrets – 5 Tips For Parents To Protect Kids From Sex Abuse
October 24, 2012 — Child Safety Expert and Kidpower founder, Irene van der Zande, says Boy Scouts of America must stop fighting the release of its files on thousands of suspected abuse cases to show integrity and regain trust as a safe organization for children. Offering parents five key steps to protecting kids from sex abuse, van der Zande emphasizes that “problems should never be secrets” and that Boy Scouts and other organizations need to “put safety first – ahead of inconvenience, embarrassment or offense.”

8 Tricks (And Treats) For A Safe Halloween
October 15, 2012 — Kidpower, a leading child safety education nonprofit, offers parents eight safety “tricks and treats” for a safe and fun Halloween.

Kidpower Co-Sponsors “Bye Bye Bullying” Student Video Contest With San Francisco DA’s Office
October 09, 2012 — Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in bullying-prevention and confidence-building skills education, is partnering with the San Francisco District Attorney’s office to co-sponsor the “Bye Bye Bullying” video contest for middle and high school students in San Francisco.

Prevent Bullying, Child Abuse, Kidnapping — Kidpower Accepting Applications For 2013 Instructor Training
October 03, 2012 — Kidpower, a leading global provider of child safety training and educational curriculum, is accepting applications for the January 2013 Kidpower Comprehensive Program Training. The training is for adults dedicated to improving child safety and the prevention of bullying, child abuse, kidnapping and other violence.

Kidpower Safety Comics Launch On Amazon – Helping Kids And Teens Learn Skills To Stop Bullying And Abuse
September 27, 2012 — Kidpower, a leading non-profit in child safety skills education, releases two cartoon-illustrated comic books to help younger children and teens learn skills to combat school bullying and many other safety problems. The comic books are recently updated and now available on Amazon.com.

Child Safety Non-Profit Receives Grant From Wells Fargo Foundation: Supports Kidpower Programs to Protect Kids from Bullying, Abuse and Abduction
September 27, 2012 — Wells Fargo Foundation supports child safety with a $5K grant to Kidpower, an international non-profit that provides fun, experience-based life-skills and safety curriculum and training to stop bullying, child abuse, kidnapping and other violence.

7 Positive Strategies For Managing Aggressive Behavior In Children
August 30, 2012 — As school resumes, many parents and teachers worry about how to handle aggressive behavior from children. In a new article, child safety education expert, Irene van der Zande, offers seven strategies for parents, educators and caregivers to manage children who are being aggressive, while keeping everyone safe at the same time.

7 Steps To Start The School Year: Strong, Safe And Sound
August 29, 2012 — The first weeks of a new school year can be an exciting and anxious time. Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in child safety and empowerment education, offers seven steps for parents and teachers to plan and practice skills that prepare children to start-off the school year “strong, safe and sound.”

How To Talk To Kids About Colorado Shooting — Calm Worries And Practice Safety Skills
July 31, 2012 — Kidpower.org, a leading resource for child safety education, offers tips for parents and caregivers to help children regain a sense of emotional safety after news of tragedies like the shootings at an Aurora movie theater.

Child Safety Expert Praises Penn State Sanctions
July 25, 2012 — Child safety expert Irene van der Zande applauds the NCAA sanctions on Penn State’s football program. “The message that the well-being of kids is more important than sports is revolutionary,” says the founder of Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in child abuse, bullying and kidnapping prevention professional training and school curriculum.

Parents: 5 Tips To Protect Kids From Abuse And Violence
June 29, 2012 — Media coverage of the Sandusky child abuse conviction has many parents contacting Kidpower.org with questions and worries – saying they feel overwhelmed by fear for their kids and wondering how they can protect them from people like Jerry Sandusky who hold positions of respect and power in the community and was recently convicted of 45 counts of sexually abusing boys. The new Kidpower Book For Caring Adults offers five tips for protecting kids from abuse, violence and other dangers.

Children In Film Announces Kidpower: Personal Safety Education For Young Performers
June 26, 2012 — Children In Film, Inc., today, announced that it has teamed up with Kidpower to provide personal safety education to young performers and their parents. (Released by Children In Film, Inc.)

7 Safety Tips for PRIDE Celebrations
June 19, 2012 — Kidpower encourages members of the LGBTQ community and their allies to be proud of who they are — and to keep these seven People Safety strategies from Kidpower.org in mind so they can celebrate with safety and confidence.

Is Your Child Ready to Act in the Face of Danger?
May 31, 2012 — Child safety expert, Irene van der Zande, says summer can be more fun for kids and less worrisome for parents if kids have practiced safety skills and have real safety plans.

Movie Review: Watching “Bully” Is Not Enough To Make A Difference Says Bullying Prevention Expert
May 23, 2012 — Irene van der Zande, child safety and bullying prevention expert, reviews the movie “Bully,” offering advice and caution to adults about letting kids watch the movie and five practical, upbeat actions adults can take right away to help stop bullying and keep kids safe.

Keep Kids Safe — Kidpower Book Shows How To Protect Kids And Teach Them To Protect Themselves From Bullying, Abuse, Abduction And Other Violence
April 30, 2012 — Author Irene van der Zande never imagined she would have to protect a group of young kids from a would-be kidnapper. But what plagued her afterwards was the question, “what if he had gotten one of those girls?” Her new “Kidpower Book For Caring Adults” shares her more than 23 years of experience as an international expert and trainer in personal safety and violence prevention for children and adults.

Ten Kidpower Safety Tips for TSA Agents and Parents to Prevent Trauma for Children at Airport Security
April 27, 2012 — Kidpower, a leader in violence prevention and personal safety education for children and adults, offers ten recommendations for both the TSA and parents to prevent trauma for children while maintaining airport security after a recent incident where TSA agents in Kansas allegedly traumatized a four-year-old girl and her family.

Sierra LaMar Still Missing, Possibly Kidnapped — Kidpower Offers Checklist for Parents to Keep Kids Safe on the Way to School
March 30, 2012 — In response to recent alleged kidnappings and violence targeting teens, Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in child abduction and abuse prevention, offers parents a “Safety for Kids On Their Way To School Checklist” to help them prepare their kids to be ready to make safe choices and get help while on their way to and from school — or anywhere else that they are allowed to go on their own — and to avoid or escape abduction and other violence.

Stop Worrying and Start Taking Action to Prevent Child Abuse — Kidpower 30-Skill Challenge™ E-Book Available Free for Child Abuse Prevention Month
March 22, 2012 — Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in child abuse and bullying prevention, honors Child Abuse Prevention Month by challenging adults to stop worrying and start taking action to prevent child abuse. Download a free copy of the Kidpower 30-Skill Challenge™, a new, step-by-step teaching tool that teachers, counselors, youth leaders and parents can use to teach vital safety skills to children and teens.

Empower, Don’t Scare: How to Talk About School Shootings — Kidpower Advice Featured in NBC Today Show’s TODAY Moms Blog
February 29, 2012 — Kidpower’s “empower, don’t scare” message helps adults talk with kids after traumatic violent events, like recent fatal school shootings. TODAY Moms features Kidpower’s practical and positive advice about helping kids regain emotional safety.

Kidpower Teams Up with Positive Coaching Alliance To Prevent Sexual Abuse In Youth Sports
February 28, 2012 — Kidpower, a nonprofit leader in abuse, bullying and violence prevention, and PCA host free webinars and provide resources that youth sports leaders, coaches and parents can use right away to help keep kids safe.

2011:

Kidpower Kicks Off “One Million Safer Kids” Campaign
International Non-Profit Aims to Create a Safer World, One Child at a Time
October 19, 2011 — Kidpower, a global leader in personal safety education for children, including bullying prevention, child abuse prevention, and stranger awareness, today kicked off its “One Million Safer Kids” campaign. The goal is simple: to make one million children safer as a result of education, awareness and skills.

2009:

Kidpower Turns 20, Celebrates With An International Conference
Invites Public To Community Day – Free Workshops
July 10, 2009 — The upcoming Kidpower Conference will celebrate 20 years of empowering people of all ages and abilities with skills to build safer lives and healthier relationships. On Sunday July 26, 2009, Kidpower is inviting the public to participate in the Community Day, which features workshops by several well-known speakers whose expertise has played a major role in making Kidpower a leader in the personal safety field.