A Passion for Children’s “People Safety”

New Zealander’s have a real passion for children’s “people safety” judging from the response to New Zealand Kidpower Instructor Training announcement in April. Kidpower NZ Centre Director Cornelia Baumgartner is overjoyed by the wide range of people that responded, all of them keen to teach children skills that build resilience and improve communication in a fun and supportive environment.

They all have one thing in common: their drive to make NZ an even better place for children. Cornelia says that Kidpower is one of the best tools for these community minded candidates as it will help them teach the empowering, positive skills people need to look after themselves in every day, and not so every day situations.

“There are very few things you can teach that will have such a profound and positive impact on someone’s life in such a short period of time,” says Cornelia “We teach preventative skills such as safety plans for when a child gets lost, solving conflict without aggression and also skills for the unexpected times when someone gets followed, or bullied or abused.”

There are still places left for people who are passionate about positive change in people’s lives and in our communities. The NZ Instructor Training is a response to the increased number of individuals and groups requesting Kidpower and other workshops. More instructors means more workshops in more places.

“Kidpower doesn’t use fear to get a message across, we concentrate on what someone can do when faced with tricky situations,” says Rona, a senior instructor with Kidpower NZ. “Becoming an instructor has been life changing for me – I can use the skills I gained in Instructor Training in so many areas of my life and to help so many people. To have the training in NZ is a fabulous achievement and I urge anyone interested in finding out more about what we do to get in touch with us. It’s a really great organisation to be involved with”.

Early Bird applications are still accepted until 8th of July and people from all walks of life are invited to enquire about what is entailed. “The more diverse the instructors the better, as everyone brings a new perspective and set of experiences.” says Cornelia.

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About Kidpower

Kidpower has been running in NZ since 1993 and has served over 28500 people. It is a charitable trust. www.kidpower.org.nz It is part of an international not for profit organisation www.kidpower.org

Kidpower is committed to creating communities where people have the skills and knowledge needed to live a life free from fear; communities where people recognise abuse and bullying are wrong and are prepared to speak out to create a positive future; schools and workplaces where strategies are in place to recognise bullying and replace it with positive behaviour. Kidpower wants young people to move forward in to the adult world prepared for the challenges ahead and able to meet them head on because they have been given the skills they need to deal with difficult situations. Kidpower speaks up for the most vulnerable in society including those with cognitive disabilities.

Kidpower also believe access to their services should not be limited by personal wealth. No one is turned away through an inability to pay. Kidpower volunteers work in all communities to ensure their work is directed where it is needed most. It works collaboratively with other organisations to ensure violence and aggression is replaced with other methods of conflict resolution.

In 2011 98.7% of adult learners reported that the programme had made them feel more confident and able to speak up and take charge. 99.5% of learners reported feeling more in control and 98.9% reported having increased ability to communicate, to learn, to take charge and to achieve.

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