Happy Bear
A personal safety program empowering young children
to protect themselves from sexual abuse.
Bullying Prevention
Classroom instruction for elementary and
middle school students to reduce peer abuse.
Child Education Staff
Child Education Services
Happy Bear
More than 3,000 Saline and Ottawa county children and their teachers participate in this program every year!
Happy Bear is scheduled in all kindergarten, first and second
grade classrooms in Salina Public Schools, Ell-Saline,
Southeast of Saline, Minneapolis, Bennington, Tescott and
St. Mary’s grade school, as well as area preschools and
licensed child care centers.
The program creates a safe atmosphere where kids can hear the message without feeling defensive or forced to participate.
Happy Bear is an audience-interactive, active learning
program designed to teach children, ages 4-8, how to:
• Determine if a touch is good (helping) or if it is bad
(one that makes them feel sad, mad or scared).
• Say “No” and walk away and tell someone, because we never
keep secrets about touches.
• Understand that if a child gets a bad touch, they are not a
bad kid. It is not their fault.
Parents are encouraged to attend. In fact, the program needs parents alongside the teachers and other “safe” grown-ups in the room.
Happy Bear will open the door for conversations at home—
private parts are the parts covered by swimsuits and private
means that they belong to the child, etc. Parents need to
talk openly and often with their child about his/her body and,
as age appropriate, about sex. Use “doctor” names (penis,
vagina and breasts) instead of laughable nicknames. Your
child needs good information.
As difficult as this topic is to address, avoiding it can have
serious consequences. Sadly, we see the effects of children
who did not have adequate information about their bodies
and about touches. That is why we present this program in
over 160 classrooms every school year. Empowering young
children to be brave and strong and protect their bodies from
sexual abuse is our important goal!
Child Education Services
Bullying Prevention
Witnesses have the power!
A bully can’t be a bully without witness approval. Bullying Prevention is classroom instruction for elementary and middle school students to reduce peer abuse. Conflict resolution and empathy-building exercises strengthen students who are either targets or witnesses of bullying.
Bullies and victims do not have to exist.
We can work toward a bully-free world:
E- Empower others to be strong, yet compassionate.
M- Make solutions, rather than find blame.
P- Practice listening and negotiation skills.
A- Apologize and make amends when needed.
T- Think of something kind to do each day for another person.
H- Help build others up, instead of tearing them down.
Y- Yield to kindness. Look with your heart instead of your eyes.
