TRAINING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Darkness to Light recognized as a Model Program by the Office of Juvenile Justive and Delinquency Prevention
In 2013, Darkness to Light was recognized as a Model Program and Promising Practice by OJJDP.
From their website: “The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP’s) Model Programs Guide (MPG) contains information about evidence-based juvenile justice and youth prevention, intervention, and reentry programs. It is a resource for practitioners and communities about what works, what is promising, and what does not work in juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, and child protection and safety.”
Darkness to Light Named as Noteworthy Public Awareness and Education Campaign by the Department of Health and Human Services
Darkness to Light was recognized in a report released April 2003 called “Emerging Practices in the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.” The report stated, “Darkness to Light is a noteworthy public awareness and education campaign in that it shifts the responsibility of child sexual abuse prevention from children to adults. Utilizing common sense messages for adults and parents, the public service announcements and advertisements center around preventing situations from happening, recognizing signs and reacting responsibly. The initiative also follows up their media message by providing a hotline for information and referral to local resources, and is developing a training and education program for educators, the faith community, and physicians on recognizing and responding to signs of child sexual abuse.”
Federal Grant from Health and Human Services Allows for Training of SC Department of Education
With the partnership of the South Carolina Department of Education and a federal grant from Health and Human Services, 20,000 educators were trained by Darkness to Light, making SC the first state to train teachers statewide.
Texas Teacher Training Initiative
Over 127,000 school personnel trained in the state of Texas as part of a statewide training initiative legislatively mandatated, and guided by the Texas Education Agency.
Georgia Teacher Training Initiative
799 teachers trained in Fayetteville County, Georgia, on May 28, 2014, setting a new single-day training record and becoming the first Metro Atlanta school system to train all staff in child sexual abuse prevention.
AWARDS
2014 Telly Award for the Stewards of Children documentary video production
2014 recognition by the United Nations Foundation as a worldwide Top 5 Child Rights program
2013 Social Responsibility Champion Award from the New Jersey Alliance of YMCAs
2007 National Crime Prevention Council Crime Prevention Program of the Year
“Stewards of Children brings things into focus and zooms in on the issue.”
