COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Learning what it takes to stay safe is a hands-on experience in a Kidpower Colorado workshop. The nonprofit's mission is to teach children ages 3 to 18 personal safety and confidence-building skills to reduce their risk of abduction, assault, and emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
"You literally see kids start in a place where they're not sure if they're in their body, they're not sure what their voice means, and afterwards the light in their eyes of just feeling strong, empowered, and like they're going to take control of their life and their body," said Liz Hahn, Kidpower senior instructor. "It's really cool."
"It is so rewarding when you see a young person find their personal power," said Diane Loschen, Kidpower Colorado community relationships coordinator.
Hahn and Loschen teach children the tools to stay safe, have a voice, and set boundaries. They are led by Jan Isaacs Henry, the executive director.
"Kids being harmed, I can't tolerate that and so I have to in whatever way I can in my little corner of the world do what I can to help kids be safe," Henry said. "It's that important and I feel compelled to do it. I have to do it."
Henry has been at the helm of the nonprofit for 31 years. In that time, more than 70,000 people have been trained by Kidpower Colorado. She holds one story close to her heart about a boy who was being bullied because of his physical disabilities. She says his life was transformed by Kidpower.
"First we heard from the teachers who said, 'What happened in that class with him because he looks different, he's walking in the world in a different way, he's using his voice, he's advocating for himself and also for other kids?'" Henry said. "And then we heard from his parents and his parents said this class changed his life because he is moving again through the world believing in himself and having the confidence to be able to stand up for himself in a way that he never did before."
Henry says over the last three decades, as safety concerns for children have evolved, the nonprofit has looked to children to teach them, too.
"We're now dealing with everything that technology brings good and bad," Henry said. "So we are really lucky that we have a teen advisory board that advises us, guides us about the relevant safety issues that kids are experiencing because we can't fully know that."
Even though Henry is quick to acknowledge the teens and all the people that make Kidpower a success, her colleagues say none of it would be possible without her.
"The thing that impresses me the most is the utmost integrity in which she conducts not just herself but has laid the foundation for Kidpower here in Colorado," Loschen said. "It's just from every component of what we do from teaching to just operationally stewarding donor dollars and managing the organization."
"Jan is an exceptional human being, and it makes me a little bit emotional in a great way because you want people who care about doing the right thing to be leading an initiative and an organization like Kidpower," Hahn said. "She's a great role model. She's a great leader, she's somebody who cares so tremendously about what she does."
That's exactly why Jan Isaacs Henry is the latest winner of the News 5 Lighthouse Award.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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