With a new, free training series — Better Neighbors — adults of all abilities can learn new skills and gain a new understanding of issues impacting our community. The North Liberty area is teeming with experts on all sorts of useful topics, and all year long, we will be tapping into these people and service organizations so residents can feel empowered to respond appropriately and, when necessary, take action. This series is open to anyone regardless of residency. Please register at the link provided!

This Stewards of Children course is made possible by the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP) rvap.uiowa.edu/ and the City of North Liberty northlibertyiowa.org.

Trainer:  RVAP Assistant Director Michael Shaw (they/them).

This training is provided to you for FREE. Thanks to RVAP, the cost of student workbooks is covered.

Duration: 2.5 hours

Face masks will be REQUIRED for attendees during this training.

Darkness to Light’s evidence-based Stewards of Children® training teaches you how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

During the training, you will hear compelling stories from experts and survivors about being an active bystander. You will also:

• learn what it means to be an active bystander and what actions you can take.
• identify signs of sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.
• know the steps for reporting, including essential information to provide.
• name the basic skills of handling a child’s disclosure of maltreatment.
• receive examples of boundary violations and red flag behaviors.
• learn how to make spontaneous and planned interventions.
• learn what commercial sexual exploitation of children is and what circumstances make children vulnerable.
• learn about the root causes of commercial sexual exploitation directly from survivors.
• understand how preventing child sexual abuse reduces the risk for children being commercially sexually exploited.
• learn why relationships and resilience are the building blocks of safety for children.
• receive examples of how to talk about personal safety with children of all ages.
• learn how to use everyday opportunities to talk with children about sexual abuse.

Questions about this training can be directed to North Liberty Special Projects Coordinator Angela McConville (she/her) at [email protected].