Kidpower

Kidpower, formally known as Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International, is a United States–based nonprofit organization focused on practical personal-safety education. Founded in Santa Cruz, California, in 1989 by Irene van der Zande, it develops and delivers training intended to help people prevent, recognize, and respond to bullying, abuse, abduction, harassment, and other forms of interpersonal violence. Its programs are designed for children, teenagers, adults, families, educators, caregivers, community organizations, and people with disabilities or other special support needs. The organization’s approach is broader than conventional stranger-danger instruction or physical self-defense. Kidpower describes its subject area as “People Safety,” a framework covering emotional and physical safety with oneself and with others. Training commonly includes awareness and risk reduction, boundary setting, assertive communication, seeking help, handling unwanted contact, preventing and responding to bullying, de-escalating conflict, and using physical self-protection when necessary. Lessons are generally presented as positive, practical, developmentally appropriate, and designed to avoid frightening participants. Children may practice skills through structured exercises with trained instructors, including physical-defense activities using padded equipment. Kidpower began as a local California initiative and developed into an international network that trains instructors and supports nonprofit or community-based centers. Reference material describes ten U.S. locations and approximately twenty locations in other countries, as well as certified instructors working across a wider group of countries. Its workshops are frequently delivered through schools, youth-serving agencies, service organizations, police-affiliated community groups, Girl Scout organizations, domestic-violence shelters, homeless shelters, migrant-education programs, and other institutions serving children or vulnerable adults. A major feature of Kidpower’s model is its emphasis on adult leadership. The organization teaches adults how to create safer environments, recognize risks, coach young people, respond to disclosures, and support children’s independence without placing responsibility for protection solely on the child. It has also worked with youth sports organizations, educators, parents, and community volunteers. Partnerships have included Positive Coaching Alliance, particularly in relation to preventing child sexual abuse in sports settings, and Tenderloin Safe Passage in San Francisco, where workshops addressed personal safety and street harassment. Kidpower has promoted its methods through books, curriculum materials, safety comics, instructor training, workshops, and public campaigns. Its publications include The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults, Bullying: What Adults Need to Know and Do to Keep Kids Safe, and age-specific safety comics for young children, older children, teenagers, and adults. The organization has also publicized independent evaluations and research examining whether participants gain safety knowledge, confidence, and usable protective skills. Studies and evaluations cited in reference material include work in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand, including a 2014 article in Children and Youth Services Review concerning the Kidpower Everyday Safety-Skills Program. Kidpower is best understood as a mission-driven service and training brand rather than a conventional consumer-products company. Its offerings combine education, professional development, community programming, publications, and support for affiliated centers. The organization’s long-term positioning is to make personal safety skills accessible, teachable, and usable by people of different ages and abilities while encouraging adults and institutions to take responsibility for prevention and protection.

Kidpower was established in Santa Cruz, California, in 1989 by Irene van der Zande. The organization’s origin story centers on an incident in which van der Zande intervened when a man threatened to abduct a child. She placed herself between the man and the children, loudly called for assistance, and the threat ended when the man left. The experience helped shape an approach based on preparation, assertive communication, collective action, and practical intervention rather than fear-based warnings alone. From its California beginnings, Kidpower developed a structured curriculum for children and adults. The program expanded beyond stranger-safety concepts to include boundary setting, confidence, positive peer communication, bullying prevention, abuse prevention, handling unwanted attention, conflict de-escalation, and physical self-protection. A central idea became “People Safety,” encompassing emotional and physical safety in relationships as well as responses to unfamiliar or threatening situations. Training was designed for different developmental stages and adapted for people with disabilities and other special needs. Kidpower’s delivery model combines direct instruction with instructor preparation and support for affiliated centers. Workshops are commonly organized through schools, community groups, social-service agencies, youth programs, shelters, and other institutions. The organization also trains professionals and community leaders so that safety skills can be integrated into local services. Reference material describes a network of U.S. centers and international locations, with certified instructors operating in numerous countries and professionals trained in more than thirty countries overall. The organization has supported its curriculum with research and evaluation. Cited work includes studies in California, Colorado, Quebec, and New Zealand, as well as a 2014 independent evaluation published in Children and Youth Services Review. Earlier evaluations examined outcomes such as safety knowledge, confidence, behavior, and the ability of children and young people to use protective skills. A 2013 presentation reported that the Everyday Safety Skills program improved children’s safety-skills knowledge and identified stronger gains among participating children than among a comparison group. These studies form part of Kidpower’s effort to align its programs with evidence-based prevention and youth-development practices. Kidpower broadened its public and institutional work during the 2010s. In 2011 it launched the One Million Safer Kids campaign, which sought to reach one million additional young people with safety and confidence lessons by July 2016. The same year, it began working with Positive Coaching Alliance on child-sexual-abuse prevention in youth sports; founder Irene van der Zande later joined PCA’s National Advisory Board. In 2012, Kidpower began working with Tenderloin Safe Passage in San Francisco, delivering workshops for people involved in neighborhood safety patrols and later supporting community sessions on street harassment. The organization has also used publications to extend its reach beyond in-person classes. Van der Zande has been the principal author of Kidpower curriculum and public-education materials, including The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults, a book on bullying prevention, and safety comics for young children, older children, teenagers, adults, parents, and teachers. Materials have been issued in English, Spanish, and bilingual formats where supported by the organization. In September 2014, Kidpower announced an initiative to promote September as International Child Protection Month. The effort reflected its broader philosophy that protecting children is primarily an adult and community responsibility, while children should also be given practical, age-appropriate tools to recognize unsafe situations, set boundaries, seek help, and act with confidence. Kidpower remains an active nonprofit personal-safety and child-protection organization with a network extending across the United States and other countries.

• 2014

  International Child Protection Month initiative announced

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Kidpower launched an initiative to promote September as an annual international observance centered on child protection and adult leadership.

• 2014

  Everyday Safety-Skills evaluation published

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  An independent evaluation of the program appeared in Children and Youth Services Review.

• 2013

  Independent evaluation presented

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Research presented at the Society for Research in Child Development examined the Kidpower Everyday Safety Skills program and reported gains in children’s safety knowledge.

• 2012

  Tenderloin Safe Passage work begins

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Kidpower started providing safety workshops for Tenderloin Safe Passage staff and volunteers in San Francisco.

• 2011

  One Million Safer Kids campaign launched

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Kidpower began a campaign to extend its safety and confidence-building lessons to one million additional young people by July 2016.

• 2011

  Positive Coaching Alliance partnership begins

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Kidpower and Positive Coaching Alliance began collaborating on child-sexual-abuse prevention training for youth sports communities.

• 1994

  Kidpower of Colorado established

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Jan Isaacs Henry founded the Colorado center, which later became one of the largest U.S. local Kidpower centers outside California.

• 1989

  Kidpower founded in California

  [1]Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org

  Irene van der Zande founded Kidpower in Santa Cruz, California, establishing a nonprofit focused on practical personal-safety education for children and adults.

A positive, practical, age-appropriate personal-safety and child-protection organization emphasizing prevention, boundaries, confidence, communication, adult responsibility, and usable skills for people of all ages and abilities.

• Child safety education

  Kidpower Everyday Safety Skills Program

  A structured program teaching children practical skills for recognizing unsafe situations, setting boundaries, using assertive communication, seeking help, and responding to bullying, unwanted contact, or other risks. The program is intended to build usable knowledge and confidence through practice rather than relying only on verbal instruction.

• Personal-safety training

  People Safety training

  Kidpower’s broad framework for emotional and physical safety with oneself and others. Training covers awareness, boundaries, communication, conflict prevention, de-escalation, advocacy, and physical self-protection, with versions adapted for children, teenagers, adults, families, educators, and people with special needs.

• Educational publication

  Kidpower Safety Comics Series

  Illustrated educational materials addressing personal safety for different age groups. The series includes versions for parents and young children, older children, and teens or adults, with English, Spanish, and bilingual editions referenced in the organization’s materials.

• Book and curriculum · 2012

  The Kidpower Book for Caring Adults

  A guide for adults covering personal safety, self-protection, confidence, advocacy, and ways to help young people develop practical skills. It extends Kidpower’s workshop philosophy to parents, caregivers, educators, and other adults responsible for youth safety.

• Educational book · 2010

  Bullying: What Adults Need To Know And Do To Keep Kids Safe

  A publication focused on adult responses to bullying and on helping children remain safer through prevention, communication, boundary setting, and appropriate support. It reflects Kidpower’s emphasis on adult responsibility and practical intervention.

• 2014International Child Protection Month

  International

  An initiative intended to establish September as a recurring global event promoting adult leadership in protecting children and empowering young people with practical safety skills.

  Source
• 2011One Million Safer Kids

  International

  A reach-expansion campaign seeking to provide safety and confidence-building lessons to one million additional young people by July 2016.

  Source

• 2014

  Promote an international child-protection observanceStrategy

  Background

  Kidpower sought to raise public attention around child protection and the role of adults in creating safer environments.

  Action taken

  The organization announced an initiative to designate September as International Child Protection Month.

  Source

• 2012

  Apply personal-safety training to neighborhood servicesStrategy

  Background

  Tenderloin Safe Passage staff and volunteers worked to help children move safely through San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.

  Action taken

  Kidpower provided workshops for staff and volunteers and supported later community sessions addressing street harassment.

  Source

• 2011

  Expand through youth-sports child-protection trainingStrategy

  Background

  Kidpower identified youth sports organizations, coaches, and parents as an important setting for preventing child sexual abuse.

  Action taken

  It began a partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance to provide relevant training and later involved its founder in PCA advisory work.

  Source

1. 1Kidpoweren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kidpower official websitekidpower.org