child advocates

The CAPINCS program is truly unique in that it harnesses the talent and creative energy of high school student volunteers to bring a message of personal safety to young children. CAPINCS members go in to preschools and elementary schools all over Nevada County and show young ones how to stand up for themselves and how to stay safe from any touch that may lead to physical or sexual abuse.

When a team of high school volunteers goes into a preschool or elementary school classroom, the goals are four-fold:

  1. Empower all the young children to learn skills to stand up to child abuse.
  2. Identify those children who are already living in abusive situations and get them started on the path to healing.
  3. Model for the teacher, appropriate response should a child disclose an abuse issue.
  4. Teach the high school volunteers about child development and the devastation of child abuse.


PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS


PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN

  • 20 Minute presentation featuring Samantha, the Silly Monkey.
  • Includes 2 short puppet vignettes with a "monkey" stretch in between.
  • One vignette focuses on "Stranger Danger". "
  • Second puppet show focuses on "How to Handle a Bully".
  • Introduction of the say "NO", GO and TELL procedure.

FIRST/SECOND GRADE

  • DAY ONE: Silly Samantha shows children how to say "NO", GO, and TELL if faced with an uncomfortable situation. "
  • 30-minute presentation includes puppet shows on "Red Light, Green Light and Yellow Light" touches. "
  • Children learn to trust their instincts about touching.
  • DAY TWO: 30-minute puppet show featuring No-No the Seal. "
  • No-No and friends figure out how to get help when he is touched inappropriately by an uncle.

THIRD/FOURTH GRADE

  • One 40-minute puppet show reviewing concepts from 1ST-2nd grades.
  • Harassment is #1 issue for this age group on playground.
  • Puppet shows include "standing up for yourself" and "refusal skills".
  • Includes role of the bystander. "
  • Children learn how to use "I" statements to effectively tell a bully "NO".

FIFTH/SIXTH GRADE

  • High school students act out 3 vignettes on harassment.
  • Physical harassment; discuss strategies for coping.
  • Emotional harassment; how rumors and words can hurt.
  • Sexual harassment; Statistics* show that there is a greater occurrence of sexual harassment in middle school than in any other setting, including high school, college or the work place. Our goal is to help kids recognize harassment and strategize how to cope.

In the 2005/2006 school year, 70 CAPINCS volunteers served 3,611 children.