Dear Kidpower Friends,
After several years of pandemic-related adjustments and disruption, it was a joy to be back to a sense of normalcy doing in-person programs again! It was exciting to work from our new home at the Safe Passage building that we share with Safe Passage, Colorado Springs Police Department Crimes Against Children Unit, UCHealth, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, El Paso County DHS, and The Family Center. This collaborative environment has allowed us to partner better than ever with other agencies, increase efficiencies and capacity, and has given us an opportunity to tour community members through an operational space to educate them about what we do and why it is so important.
Sara (top), Jan (on slide)
In 2021-2022, Kidpower was effective in continuing to provide experiential, developmentally appropriate, evidence-based, trauma sensitive programs that teach young people how to build resilience, lower their risk of experiencing trauma, and stay safe. We trained 2,311 kids, teens, and adults in Colorado Springs, El Paso and Teller Counties, and the Denver metro areas. Last year, 59% of our programs were partially or fully funded, allowing us to maintain our commitment to ensure that all children may participate in our programs regardless of financial challenges.
Year-after-year, survey participants show a high level of confidence (99% to 100%) in the following outcomes: The workshop was very useful for their children; The workshop increased their children’s level of awareness and understanding about interpersonal safety; Kidpower skills are applicable in real life situations; They learned new ways to talk to their children about interpersonal safety; Instructors were knowledgeable about safety education; They would recommend the Kidpower program to other families. See below for this year’s survey results.
Other highlights of 2021 include the addition of a full-time program coordinator and an additional part-time instructor to support ever-increasing demand for workshops. We are grateful for the continued support of our donors and funders that helped make these staff additions possible.
We are moving into 2023-2024 with a number of new and continuing goals:
None of these past accomplishments and future projects would be possible without the inspiring support of our Kidpower community. Together we will continue to help our young people be safe, strong, connected, and protected in the year to come.
Wishing you and your loved ones health and safety,
Jan Isaacs Henry
Executive Director
Sara Sugerman
Board President
From a Kidpower parent:
“My son, Ben, took a Kidpower workshop at his school recently. Today I got a call from the Assistant Principal at his school. She wanted to let us know that Ben reported an incident to her where another student grazed his private parts in the lunch room today and it made him uncomfortable. She said the incident was addressed with consequences.
I don’t think he would have reported it prior to Kidpower. I’m proud of him. He is only 6 years old and I wasn’t sure how much he was picking up in class but, as you said, he did hear what the instructors were teaching. I am glad he recognized that it made him feel uncomfortable and was able to report it to a safe adult. Knowledge is power.
I think seeing the instructors and students role-play how to navigate those conversations is really powerful. It destigmatizes the topic and gives them a road map, should the need ever arise in their lives.
The program and its content allowed Ben to trust others to help him feel safe, a positive outcome to a potentially heavy situation. Thank you.”