HCC to Offer Children’s Safety Program in February

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College is running a two-day program next month designed to teach children how to protect themselves from violence and harm in their daily lives.

The two-session program, called radKIDS, is for children 6 to 12 years old and will run over two consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at HCC’s Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation.

The sessions will be led by Kellie Cournoyer-Cronk and Maggie Brown, two area law-enforcement veterans and trainers certified by the radKIDS national nonprofit network.

According to its website, radKIDS is a “fun, activity-based program” whose curriculum includes home, school, and vehicle safety; bullying prevention; abduction defense; and personal space/personal touch safety with a goal of “replacing fear with knowledge, skills, and power by enhancing a child’s critical-thinking abilities and physical-resistance skills.”

The $75 program fee includes snacks, water, and a T-shirt. To register, visit hcc.edu/bce and search for ‘radKIDS’ or call HCC Community Services at (413) 552-2123.