Students Offered Training Against Dating Abuse

Center for Safety & Change invites Rockland County high school students to participate in SAEDA, a four-day training program from March 25 through 28. Applications must be submitted by Monday, Feb. 25. The training is limited to 20 ninth through 12^th students and the daily sessions last seven hours.

SAEDA is a youth-led education and prevention program dedicated to celebrating diversity, challenging oppressive and social norms, promoting leadership and inspiring youth to ultimately end gender-based violence.  More than 400 high school students have participated in SAEDA since its inception in 2004, making it a model program co-facilitated by staff and community partners. They become peer educators in their community.

Participants note the impact of the program.

“There’s something in SAEDA that we use to describe how much SAEDA has changed us in every aspect of our lives, we call it ‘SAEDA lenses’,” remarked Sandra Goldstein Lehnert, a student at Tappan Zee High School. “The SAEDA training brings an enlightened, empowered perspective onto conversations, advertisements, classroom discussions—basically everything.” 

Students who take the training earn 28 hours of community service credit and a $50 stipend.  Those interested in applying or receiving more information can to contact Laura Plotkin at 845-634-3391 or lplotkin@centersc.org. Training programs take place twice yearly in the spring and fall at the Palisades Center.

Center for Safety & Change is a non-profit; grass roots organization serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and all violent crimes. The 24-hour hotline number for the New City-based organization is 845-634-3344.  The non-profit was previously named the Rockland Family Shelter.