Each year, during the first week of February, we recognize and honor the people who work to encourage and support students every day – school counselors! We’d like to say THANK YOU to all of the wonderful school counselors for their commitment and dedication to educating and protecting children.
At the Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF), we recognize that school counselors have a huge impact on helping students succeed in school and plan for their future. In this ever-changing world, the job of a school counselor has been transformed to focus on reducing or removing barriers so that students can fully engage in the learning process. One such barrier is the victimization that many children experience, such as bullying, cyberbullying, abuse, and exploitation.
Research has shown that these types of adverse childhood experiences interfere significantly with academic achievement. We also know that child victimization is preventable through education. This is why we are proud that our prevention education programs, MBF Child Safety Matters® (grades K through 5), MBF Teen Safety Matters® (grades 6 through 12), and MBF Athlete Safety Matters® (for youth athletes), MBF After-School Safety Matters® are used by schools and youth organizations throughout the nation and in 3 countries.
In many schools, our programs are implemented by school counselors. The programs educate and empower children and teens with 5 Safety Rules and other strategies to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to bullying, cyberbullying, the four types of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect), human trafficking, exploitation, and digital dangers. They were developed WITH schools – not FOR schools – so they are practical and easy to implement in just two lessons. And they are evidence-based/evidence-informed, and not only empower students, but relevant adults and parents as well. In addition, all lessons are age and developmentally appropriate, supported by experts, and trusted by parents.
MBF is committed to the safety of ALL children and teens. If you would like to join the many schools and organizations already using MBF Programs to better protect your students, please visit our website at wwwstaging.mbfpreventioneducation.org or contact our office at info@mbfpreventioneducation.org or (904) 642-0210.