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Westbury, NY, January 30, 2007 -- The students of MPowering Kids learned a valuable lesson as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island brought their Playing It Safe, Playing It Smart workshop to MPowering Kids January 19th. The name of their program is simply stated, but the message it sends is profound. The tragic stories of children being abducted by strangers has unfortunately been all over the news lately. This unique program informed MPowering Kids of ways they can be safe and stay out of harms way.

Daniel Dowd presented the workshop and showed up wearing a sling on his arm. Later in the presentation he removed the sling as the children’s eyes widened. This was an excellent example of how predators trick children into thinking they are sick and need help. The students were also amazed as Mr. Dowd showed them the police badge he purchased online. He explained to the students how abductors try to lure children away by pretending they are law enforcement.

“We are so thankful to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Long Island for bringing this important message to MPowering Kids” said Susan Marshall, Founder of MPowering Kids. “We do not want to scare the students but they need to be educated so they can best protect themselves.”

Mr. Dowd then moved on to another prevalent topic, the internet. He touched on cyber bullying and how predators pretend they are children online to befriend unsuspecting children. It was amazing to see the show of hands at how many students are on “My Space.” Many students were totally unaware of the danger that lurks on the internet. Mr. Dowd gave the MPowering Kids some great tools to use to keep themselves safe including the important message to tell their parents if they are being bothered online. Many children do not tell their parents if someone is harassing them since they fear their internet rights will be taken away. Mr. Dowd handed out an internet contract for parents and children to sign, stating they would not be punished if they were honest about problems they were experiencing online.

Big Brothers and Big Sisters generously waived the fee they normally charge for the workshop so that the non-profit MPowering Kids could benefit from this informative workshop. The students of MPowering Kids walked away from this program a little smarter and with tools to keep them safe.

About MPowering Kids: MPowering Kids is a non-profit charitable organization that provides after-school tutoring, mentoring, and cultural enrichment and community service programs for motivated students in under-served communities. The MPowering Kids staff and volunteers work closely with students from fourth grade through their high school graduation, offering nine years of programs and opportunities to acquire the skills, habits and attitudes necessary to succeed in college and in life.
 

The MPowering Kids program is made possible through the generous support of individual and corporate sponsors. For additional information about MPowering Kids, please visit the About Us section or go to the Donations page to help support MPowering Kids.

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