by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Jun 15, 2022
We would greatly appreciate your taking 5 minutes to fill out this anonymous survey. Your answers will help us to reach out to and inspire businesses that share our values to partner with Kidpower by supporting our work. Our goal is that everyone will have access to the knowledge and skills that we teach, for […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Jun 13, 2022
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | May 25, 2022
In October 1999, a few months after the tragic school shooting at Columbine High School, a six-year-old asked me during our Kidpower classroom workshop, “What if someone starts shooting kids at our school?” Along with all the adults in the room, my heart sank at hearing this question that NO child should ever have to […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | May 9, 2022
“I have worked as a crisis-response consultant to help over a dozen schools and youth-serving organizations to recover after they have had to face a sexual abuse case in their community. In each case, people involved at all levels have said repeatedly, ‘Now that we have been through this, I would have done EVERYTHING in […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | May 2, 2022
In a school year like no other, all of us at Kidpower are grateful to the many educators who are giving so much time, energy, and caring to provide others with a sense of safety, belonging, and connection – in addition to supporting their learning! The dedication of teachers has mattered more than ever in […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Apr 18, 2022
Part of the inspiration that led to Kidpower came from stories I heard from adults that started with the words, ‘IF ONLY…’ If ONLY, when my youth group leader dropped all the kids off except for me and then touched me in a way that my mom and dad said NEVER to let a man […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Feb 28, 2022
Like countless others, I feel incredibly sad about the suffering and destruction caused by the war in Ukraine and wars anywhere; by this whole pandemic; by violence and abuse in families and in communities; by natural disasters; and by tragic accidents.
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Feb 7, 2022
Tomorrow is Safer Internet Day, a global effort to make the internet a safer place for all – especially young people! We have articles, videos, and many other resources you can use today – and every day – to protect and empower the young people in your life to be safer online. You can: 1. […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Dec 31, 2021
Thank you to everyone who has supported Kidpower this year through donating, volunteering, teaching, and sharing. No matter where you live or what language you speak, as Safety Leaders, you are at the HEART of our work. With your help in 2021 we have: Directly served more than 25,000 children, teens, and adults worldwide, including […]
by Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Founder and Executive Director | Dec 31, 2021
Kidpower helped Ellen give her kids the skills she had lacked as a child… “I used to think I didn’t have any power. A lot of unfortunate things happened to me all the way up through my early adulthood because I did not know how to set boundaries, to speak up, or to advocate for […]