WEST MILFORD —This summer, campers at a local horse farm not only learned how to perfect their two point position but how to stay safe from strangers.
Hidden Acres Farm in West Milford was the site of another stranger safety event by the nationally known stranger safety group The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation. 18 children from the ages of 7-14 listened to stranger safety tips and moves to safely get away from a stranger.
Hidden Acres is owned and operated by West Milford residents Jolene and Brian Cash. Jolene said these stranger safety lessons are vital for all children to learn, "Protecting our children is important. We wanted to add this lesson to our horse camp this year to help raise awareness and empower them."
Matthew Barbis, Founder of The Rose Brucia Educational Foundation and Patrick Chierichella, Educational Coordinator met with the equestrian campers for an hour. "We need to disarm the deception of strangers by teaching our children the tools they need to stay safe." Barbis said.
Utilizing puppets and simple self-defense techniques, the foundation visits elementary schools on a regular basis and performs the Stranger Safety Program, free of charge. The newest installment of the program, The Stranger Safety Awareness Program, was inspired, created and developed by a team of award-winning educators. Utilizing a multi-media platform, the program is dynamic, informative and fun for the students. Focusing on elementary aged children, the program engages students and offers them the tools they need to assist them in their own safety, as it relates to strangers. A formalized special education program has also been developed to address stranger safety concepts through middle school.
This curriculum focuses on three fundamental concepts: Awareness, Safety and Trust. The core messages are presented in simple DVD or digital format online with individual lesson plans written around each show. "They are designed to deliver vital stranger safety concepts to children in a non-threatening, yet thought provoking manner." said Chierichella. "Each lesson plan includes a checklist of short-term and long-term objectives for the teacher to use as a guide, a list of materials needed to teach each lesson as well as summary statements and suggested homework assignments."
This is not the first time the Rose Brucia Educational Foundation has visited West Milford. Last Fall, the foundation presented to students Kindergarten through sixth grade at West Brook Elementary School which has been practicing the stranger safety course for two years. Celebrities such as Donald Trump and Kevin Sorbo have also donated their time to the organization to spread the word on stranger safety.