PEI Kids’ Prevention Education programs seek to ensure good mental health, reduce children’s vulnerability, end violence/abuse against children, and empower them to safely disclose fear, danger, abuse and risk in their lives.
Training workshops are available for pre-K through high-school students and for the parents, educators and adults who support them. Programs are available to schools and youth-serving organizations.
Our Kindergarten through 9th-grade workshops provide the opportunity for students to learn about the dangers of physical and sexual abuse, bullying, dating violence, and online risks in an environment of trust and support. All child/youth prevention programs include an adult component to inform parents/caregivers, teachers, and administrators and equip them to reinforce and support students following the workshop.
Since 1985, PEI Kids has been providing quality, school-based Prevention Education programs for more than 8,000 Mercer County children in annually. We present age-appropriate workshops in more than 60 public, private and charter schools covering topics including child assault, sexual abuse, abduction, bullying, teen dating safety, cyber-safety, and more. Programs feature evidence-based curriculum including Child Safety Matters, Teen Safety Matters, and Teen Mental Health First Aid, as well as NetSmartz from National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Students learn:
Child Abuse, Abduction, and Sexual Assault Prevention
Online Safety, Bullying and Peer Assault Prevention
Dating, Consent, and Sexual Assault Prevention
Teen Mental Health and Wellbeing
PEI Kids presents workshops from the NetSmartz series which is designed to help students stay safe online and reduce their vulnerability to online predation and victimization. NetSmartz is an interactive, evidence-informed, educational program produced by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Designed for children ages 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement — NetSmartz provides age-appropriate training, techniques, and resources to teach children how to be safe online and offline.
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For high-school students, the evidence-based teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) program teaches life-saving skills to help teens deal with a mental health challenge or crisis among their friends and peers.
Ultimately, we know that keeping children safe is the responsibility of trusted adults in their lives; so we also provide training for adults — educators, parents/guardians and caregivers — on a range of topics to promote wellbeing and help prevent abuse, assault, delinquency, violence, suicide and self-harm and to get child victims of abuse, assault and violence the services and support they need to heal and recover.
The tMHFA program was brought to New Jersey in 2022 as part of a two-year statewide pilot program for NJ students in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the Born This Way Foundation. Originated in Australia, the tMHFA program was tailored to the unique experiences of young people in the U.S.; and PEI KIDS was selected by the National Council to deliver the program for high-school students in Mercer County. Participants learn how to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of suicide risk, mental health & substance use challenges among their friends and peers. Learn more about teen Mental Health First Aid.
Workshops for adults are conducted by our trained staff with deep experience and subject-matter expertise. Most programs are 90 minutes to 2 hours in length and are geared to the needs and specific audiences, including parent groups, youth-serving professionals, coaches, educators, early-childhood professionals, healthcare professionals, and other professional, affinity, or social service organizations/groups. Customized training for your group can focus on specific areas of safety and youth development, such as:
Responding to a child’s disclosure of physical or sexual abuse
Discipline vs Abuse: Disciplining young children
Redirecting youth lured by gang activity
Under Your Nose: Gang awareness training
Responding to Sexual Behaviors of Children
Child Sexual Abuse: Local trends & prevention
Is my child involved in a gang? (for parents)
Child safety policies for youth organizations
Managing Anger, Aggression & Violence (for teens)