PreK-2 Success Stories
"Thorsby School in Alabama will begin our 11th year of teaching Think First & Stay Safe! I can personally attest that this program has given numerous children a voice to be able to speak up and say that they were victims of child abuse and they needed someone to help make it stop. Our second graders helped catch a "most wanted" sex offender at the park after learning the lesson about their inner siren. Think First & Stay Safe was implemented county wide in the 2016-17 school year throughout Chilton County, Alabama!
I love this program. I have recommended it to other schools. I can't say enough about the effectiveness of Think First & Stay Safe for our students!"
- Angie Barnett,
Thorsby Elementary School, Thorsby, Alabama
"I have been impressed by the developmental appropriateness of the Think First & Stay Safe Youth Curriculum, and its impact on my students each year. The program is presented to my students in our classroom environment where the children have developed feelings of trust and safety. Each lesson is presented with visuals and props that the children can relate and connect to, and they are given opportunities to role-play and review the main ideas of the program during each session. My students have always been completely engaged by the real-life situations presented, and most importantly to me, they have never expressed any kind of fear or anxiety as a result of the learning activities. On the contrary, they have always seemed reassured that most people are 'good weather people,' and that they can be safe because they have learned the rules and strategies for the Think First & Stay Safe program."
- Patsy Aldrich, First Grade Teacher for 16 years
Mattawan Early Elementary School; Mattawan, Michigan
"I am confident that in presenting Think First & Stay Safe, we are being proactive. While we can never know how many times a child has been at-risk of molestation or abduction and used their training to avert disaster, I can share one incident that came to my awareness. A year after the inception of Think First & Stay Safe in our school, an article appeared in the Kalamazoo Gazette about one of our students who resisted a lure in our community: 'Deputies learned that a man in a car with two Husky-type dogs inside offered a dog to an 8-year-old. The boy refused. Then the man tried to coax the boy into his vehicle.' The child successfully resisted the attempted abduction and reported the incident to his parent! This boy went through Child Lures Prevention's Think First & Stay Safe training in second grade; the Pet Lure is one of the lures we specifically role play during the presentation. I make a point to tell the students this story each year to reinforce the message that they can win over lures and would-be predators. I take comfort knowing that we have helped to equip children to resist sexual abuse and abduction through this outstanding program."
- Barbara Manzon, M.S.W., Intervention Specialist
Mattawan Early Elementary School; Mattawan, Michigan
"Outstanding program! The lesson plans are perfectly geared toward the age groups of the kids. They actually enjoy the sessions, and the parents always come up to me afterwards to comment on how great the program is. Thank you!"
- Ken Morrison, St. Dunstan's Roman Catholic Church
Glastonbury, Connecticut
"Brevard Public School sponsored a child safety program presented by Mr. Ken Wooden, founder of Child Lures Prevention. The presentation made to parents and the community was also open to children. Mr. Wooden was able to capture the children's attention immediately. Not only did he effectively communicate to them the dangers of child luring and sexual predators but did so in a manner that provided understandable information that was not frightening. I have been involved in law enforcement for 25 years and am impressed with Mr. Wooden's knowledge and understanding of the predator mind and his dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of our children."
- Andrea Alford, Director, Office of District & School Security
School Board of Brevard County, Florida
"This is an extremely valuable tool in teaching our kids to protect themselves. Sometimes as a parent it is hard to find the correct word or scenarios to make our children aware of these dangers without making it sound like they should trust no one. Think First & Stay Safe teaches them how to be alert and cautious without being afraid of everyone. It gives me a lot of comfort knowing that people who are experienced and educated in this area are teaching our children how to help protect themselves. As a parent I would love to be able to protect my child from dangers 24/7, but we all know that's not realistic. I'm glad you arm my child with tools to help him to help himself. It gives me great peace of mind. Please keep this valuable program going, for our children's safety and for ours. Thank you for caring about my child and our community's children."
- Parent, Mattawan Early Elementary School
Mattawan, Michigan