Services for Schools, Daycares
and Other Academic Institutions
We offer a variety of adapted programs tailored to the specific needs of daycares, preschools, elementary schools, high schools, CEGEPs and universities.
Services described below target mostly daycares and elementary schools but can be tailored to fit older students as well.
» Classroom Programs
OUR FOCUS
Classroom workshops on the subject of our Everyday Safety Skills Program offer a dynamic, interactive, playful and hands-on environment for learning safety skill sets adapted to each age group.
We use numerous visual aids and activities to help students contextualize and then practice the skills presented. These will vary depending on children’s ages and include : puppets & illustrated storytelling, posters & illustrations, theatrical role-palying & sketches, short guided discussions, games & exercices.
The younger the children, the more simplified the skill sets. The older the students, the more we complexify how and when skills can be used.
CONTENT
Through individualized practices and group activities, we work towards developing the following social and safety skills with students:
When on their own, HOW TO…
- Adopt a calm, confident and aware attitude
- Behave in a safe way when faced with an unknown situation or person
- React effectively when lost (or, if older, when harassed)
- Follow a safety plan (and when older, how to make one)
- Escape from threatening situations with strong voices and active bodies
When dealing with people they know, HOW TO…
- Protect themselves from hurtful words and name-calling
- Set effective and appropriate boundaries with other children as well as adults
- Say no to friends without losing them (for older kids)
- Deal with bullying, emotional coercion, manipulation, harassment, bribery and misuse of power, whether by a peer or adult (for elementary school aged kids)
- Stop unsafe or inappropriate touch or attention
- Get help from a busy adult
- And more
Content can always be adapted depending on specific group needs, school needs, regionalized needs, or social issues that plague the community at large. For older children and teens, information can be included on how to deal with weapons and gangs. Classroom workshops can also be adapted for schools serving youth with special needs.
WORKSHOPS
With the aid of teaching staff and parent volunteers, we hold short classroom visits at regular intervals. Doubling up classes is possible, if an adequately sized room, a sound system, and enough adult volunteers are available.
We prefer that more, rather than less, staff and adults be involved to give children the opportunity for more individual practice time. This also helps to create a better common language on safety between children and their grown-ups. Adults usually have a great time and learn just as much as kids.
The more time is available and the smaller the groups, the more content we can cover with each group.
- For daycares and preschools, we suggest 4 to 6 visits in each group with sessions lasting between 20 to 45 minutes each.
- For elementry schools, basic program content can be covered in four hours of classroom time, if the school provides one adult helper per five or six children.
- For older students, basic program content can be covered in two hours of classroom time.
The Emergency Only (Full Force Self-Defense) dimension of our program, which involves learning and practicing physical self-defense techniques with the help of our coach and padded instructors, can be an exciting empowerment option for older students, if they have followed our Everyday Safety Skills program and if the school or the parents have signed a written consent form.
»STUDENT Assemblies
Assembly style presentations offer many practical ideas, all the while captivating larger audiences. This option introduces safety skills to large groups for your elementary school, high school, CEGEP, or university.
»After-school Programs
Many elementary schools and junior high schools offer our After-school Safety Workshops. As with classroom programs, we hold short sessions at regular intervals. Number of students per after-school program is normally limited or special longer sessions during theme days or pedagogical days.
If no teachers are present during the after-school workshop, a parent-teacher evening is required so that caring adults can better support students learning. However, even with a parent-evening, we highly recommend that at least one school staff member participate in sessions with children.
After-school formats can also be designed like parent-child workshops and be held in the early evenings or on weekends, in which case, students practice safety skills with their parents in family-teams. Consult our classroom programs or parent-child section for more details on content and formats.
»Parent conferences
Some daycares and schools prefer to offer our interactive and educational conferences for parents, teachers and caring adults. In the absence of children, more mature content or social problems specific to that community can be discussed.
Consult our section on Services for Parents & Caregivers for more about this option.
»Training for PROFESSIONALS & Educators
This option is a great way to help daycare and school staff aquire safety skills for themselves and their students as well as learn how to present and practice these skills with children.
To find out more about how teachers and pedagogical councilors can present safety skills to their own students and how safety skills can be included into their ongoing curriculum, consult our In-Service Staff Trainings section.
We also offer a variety of publications and teaching kits adapted for daycares and schools to support staff in teaching “People Safety” as part of their curriculum.
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