Kids Voices Matter Program teaches youth vital lessons about safety and social-emotional learning

DETROIT, Mich. — A Courageous Voice has partnered with the Monique Burr Foundation to provide prevention education to schools and afterschool programs in Oakland and Wayne counties. The group of K-12 programs titled Kids Voices Matter is an evidence-based curriculum for prevention education around child safety and wellness.

The curriculums teach children core skills through engaging and interactive lessons to enable them to protect themselves from danger. These lessons could teach kids necessary lessons to protect themselves from bullying, cyberbullying, digital abuse, all types of abuse, and other dangers. 

Kids Safety Matters is used in both private and public schools and focuses on teaching five safety rules to help keep kids safe on and offline. The two lessons differ based on age group, providing an optimized learning experience for kindergarteners through seniors/twelfth graders. 

After-School Matters is used in after-school programming and focuses on on and offline safety through the same five safety rules taught in Kids Safety Matters. Differing from the in-school lessons, After-School Matters is a six-week, combined class curriculum featuring art activities, games, and discussions for an interactive experience for the children involved. 

Our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) group classes are a one-hour class where children are encouraged to learn more about self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, and relationship skills. This class includes fun activities for all ages, using the HOPE framework and HeartMath techniques for heart coherence. 

All curriculum is taught by certified facilitators to guide them in teaching children about safety and wellness.

According to research from RAINN, 93% of victims under the age of 18 know their abuser. It is important to teach children how to identify safe and trustworthy adults to prevent potential dangers.

Child sex abuse is a serious issue and it is not the only issue children can face. When children go through CSA and other dangers, it can follow them through life. This is what ACV aims to prevent with their programming. The implementation of the Kids Voices Matter program in schools and after-school/youth programs would provide children with skills and confidence to keep themselves safe from a range of dangers. 

Now is the perfect time to consider implementing Kids Voices Matter programming in schools and youth programs in the new year. Contact Xander Piasecki at xander@acourageousvoice.org or email A Courageous Voice at info@acourageousvoice.org to take the next steps toward ensuring child safety. 

A Courageous Voice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving Wayne and Oakland Counties that focuses on preventing and protecting children from child sexual abuse (CSA) using comprehensive, evidence-based educational tools to raise awareness and empower families to stop violence. ACV was founded by Amy Mullins, a survivor of CSA who is a certified life coach and has worked with youth for over 30 years. She is a certified facilitator of Child Safety Matters and Stewards of Children, Trauma Informed certified, and educates youth organizations and schools about the importance of prevention education. 

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