Homepage / Connecticut News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

After-School Program Empowers Students

Woman: Program Tells Students They're Worth Protecting

POSTED: 3:24 pm EST November 6, 2008
UPDATED: 7:55 pm EST November 6, 2008

It's not health class or physical education, but some parents may argue that one after-school activity is just as important as any in-school lesson.

But parents would argue this after-school activity is just as important as any in-school lesson.

And the woman who teaches these young kids couldn't agree more.

“Keeping them safe today is just getting more and more stressful for parents,” said Tricia Baker, a social worker at Bolton High School.

Baker found out about a program called radKIDS and wanted to bring it to the school.

“It's safety education, but it's more than that,” she said. “It's personal empowerment.”

Baker shelled out her own money to train out-of-state and bring the program to children in Connecticut.

“radKIDS teaches them no one has the right to hurt you and you don't have to be a victim,” she said. “Expecting someone to come and help you -- you can help yourself.”

Baker said RAD stands for Resist Aggression Defensively. She said uses the program with children as young as 3 years old and as old as 12 years old.

She said that when the children get together, there are conversations and role-playing.

One of the activities centers on what to do if a child's home alone and there's a knock at the door, she said, or if a stranger approaches a child in public.

Sean Cox got both his daughters involved in the class.

They now know how to quickly dial 911, he said.

He said he feels better as a parent knowing his children are prepared at a young age.

“I know now if there were an emergency and I were hurt and unable to communicate, I know they could take those steps and do it for themselves,” Cox said.

“It's a way to help kids value themselves and say, 'I'm worth protecting,’” said Baker.

For more information on the program, visit the radKIDS Web site.

Advertise On WFSB

Advertise with WFSB-TV-DT and WFSB.com
Reach your best potential customers by advertising on the No. 1-rated television station in the Hartford/New Haven market. More


Sponsored Links

Smart Savings

Do you catch yourself counting every penny these days? Find money saving ideas big and small in our Smart Savings guide. More


Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Find out which triggers are under your control. The answers could prevent migraines, and keep you off the sidelines. More

Staging is vitally important when selling your home. These helpful hints will turn your problem rooms into buyer bait. More

Don’t ruin your chances of landing that new job by making easy to correct mistakes on your cover letter. More

Now more than ever, job security is priority number one with most job seekers. Here are 10 jobs with great job security that employers are actually struggling to fill. More

CBS Shows Online

Shop Your Insurance

SAVE up to 30% on Insurance
Paying too much for insurance? Get quotes from multiple companies and choose the best plan for you. Start saving now!

Insurance Type:


Zip Code:


Hartford Magazine
Meriden Record-Journal
AllGreen.com