Osoyoos Soroptimists Gloria Ellingsen (left), June Harrington and Dot Rathgeber (far right) present SOSS counsellors Margie Nazaroff and Sara Illingworth with $1,000 for the school’s “Safeteen” program. (Lyonel Doherty photo)

Soroptimist International of Osoyoos, with members in Oliver, have once again donated $1,000 to the district’s three high schools to help keep students safe.

Soroptimists Dot Rathgeber, June Harrington and Gloria Ellingsen presented Southern Okanagan Secondary School counsellors Margie Nazaroff and Sara Illingworth with a $1,000 cheque for the school’s “Safeteen” program.

This program, which took place during the first week of December, educates teenagers on assertiveness and protection against violence. It also delves into image issues and other important life skills.

Rathgeber said that Soroptimists feel very strongly that Safeteen is a worthwhile program in schools and are happy to support local teens.

History

Safeteen founder, Anita Roberts began training women in self-defence in 1976. In 1978 she began teaching a self-defence and assertiveness course through the Vancouver School Board.

Over time, Roberts began to understand that for the most part, the adult women she worked with had experienced sexual assault in their teen years or younger. With the intention of shifting the focus from ‘how to fight back’ to the prevention of violence, the Safeteen Youth Assertiveness Model was created and Roberts began to work with teenage girls in schools. The newly coined, “Safeteen Program” was endorsed by the Vancouver School Board in 1983.

Working exclusively with girls, Roberts became convinced that if violence against women and girls were to end, it was imperative to work with the boys as well. In 1993, Roberts partnered with Dr. Aaron White from UBC to develop a program to challenge ‘the code’ of stereotypical masculinity and to de-escalate violence amongst males.

Safeteen has now grown into an internationally recognized program. A team of highly trained facilitators provide up to 25,000 youth per year with the life-changing Safeteen violence prevention model. As a primarily school-based program, the program ensures that youth age 11 and up have concrete skills to manage the personal challenges and very real dangers they face on a daily basis. The program goes a long way towards empowering youth in their social emotional survival, physical, mental and sexual safety.

In one testimonial on the Safeteen website, a 15-year-old girl said the program “saved my life.”