Personal Safety and Self Defense for children, teens and adults

Starting a new center in your area.

Center Development Program

We're ALWAYS looking for people who are interested in starting a center to bring our services to their community. Our goal is to provide safety skills training to everyone, especially those most at risk of assault, violence and abuse due to life situation or disability. 

We are also very dedicated to maintaining extremely high quality standards and ethics, and are only looking for people who are willing to uphold our Mission, goals and values and make a long-term commitment to being part of our organization.

Instructors, presenters, and organizers provide an invaluable service to their communities. As awareness of the importance of personal safety grows, so too grows the need for people who organize and teach personal safety workshops.

Screening for Center Organizer or Center Director

The first step is for an applicant to review all the information available about our organization and services. Ideally, an applicant will visit another Center, but this is often not practical for someone who is far away. The applicant will send a written statement describing personal background, education and work history, and reasons for wanting to start a center.

This statement will be accompanied by a check, money order or credit card payment made payable to Kidpower for $50 USD to help cover our initial screening costs. 

A complete package of information will be sent, and a telephone appointment will be set up to answer questions and to begin the screening and center development process.  Long distance telephone costs will be paid by the applicant either through making the call directly or through calling right back.

Making Agreements

The next step is to reach clear understanding on the agreements.  The applicant fills out the Center Agreement. If the applicant is also planning to become an instructor, the instructor application and instructor training agreement need to be filled out as well. This process often involves communication by telephone and e-mail.

Plan for Service Delivery

Once agreements are reached, an individualized plan for service delivery is developed with the Applicant. This plan will take into account how far the area to be served is from an established Center, the goals and prior experience of the Center Organizer, etc.

Center Name and Service Area

The Center Organizer gets approval for an initial Center name and service area. A name usually is based on a city, county, geographic region, or nature symbol reflecting the area. A service area means a geographic area where the Center will be primarily focusing on organizing services. A service area does NOT mean exclusive entitlement to conduct programs in that area, although our practice is to work towards getting people to join other local centers rather than start up new ones.

Centers focusing on a specific service area are often given permission to offer services in other areas, as long as they check first to make sure that existing agreements and relationships are not going to be affected. Our goal as a nonprofit organization is to do what works in terms of setting up a strong organizational structure that will allow the availability and quality of our services to grow in a healthy fashion.

Our goal is to set Centers up in ways that cooperate rather than compete, and we have a couple of different successful models for making this happen.

Workshop Fees

Center Organizers have the right to decide how to set workshop fees for their communities. We do provide a scale of self-supporting fees.  Usually the first reaction people have is that this is way too much for people to pay in their community. We are a nonprofit organization and Organizers often seek funding to subsidize the costs of our services. We have found that it is a mistake in the long run to set the fees of our classes too low. Our experience in many different types of communities is that it works better to set fees on a break-even basis that includes all overhead and to have a generous sliding scale scholarship policy supported by donations so no one is turned away for lack of money.  This makes it clear for everyone what the value of the program is. Community education is needed no matter what the fees are to help people understand the value of this training.

Certified Instructor Training and Availability

Only instructors certified by our organization may teach for a Center working under our auspices.  A list of certified instructors willing to travel is available. A description of our certified instructor training program is available.

Costs of Importing Trainers

Since we are a nonprofit organization, we can guide people in local centers in how to fund raise to cover these costs. It takes one trainer to conduct the Everyday Safety Skills workshops and at least two trainers to conduct the Emergency-Only Full Force Self Defense workshops.

The training fees to our organization for sending trainers depends on distance and type of workshop. All travel expenses such as shuttle to the airport, airport parking, airfare or rental car, meals and lodging are also the responsibility of the Center. Trainers could stay in people’s homes provided that comfortable private space can be arranged. Meals do not need to be fancy as long as they are healthy and meet any dietary restrictions.

We adapt the programs offered to fit the needs in each community. A number of Everyday Safety Skills Workshops can be offered on the same day. Programs that go on for several days can sometimes be arranged for a lower daily rate.

In addition to the trainer fees and travel, the Center is responsible for all other costs involved with organizing and conducting the workshops including room rental which can often be donated, marketing, etc.

Risk Management

All students or their legal guardians (parents, organizations acting as guardians) must sign a release of liability for all full force workshops or any workshops focusing on physical self defense. All volunteers and staff in an organization must sign an agreement not to sue for anything that happens through their involvement. All Centers must require that anyone driving for the organization have their own automobile insurance coverage which would apply in case of an accident even if they are driving on behalf of our organization.

In the United States and Canada, Centers will participate in our liability insurance coverage. This insurance covers liability only for accidents happening in classes to students. The costs of insurance may vary from year to year depending on our policy, but will be lower than what an individual could obtain separately for equivalent coverage.  Outside the United States and Canada, Centers must have liability insurance coverage approved by our organization.

Written Material

The Center is responsible for the cost of providing written materials to students. We will provide masters of all handouts and promotional literature for the Centers to copy. The Centers will pay for the time and postage necessary to provide this material, which comes to about $50. If people wish to have information individually tailored here for their Center, then they will pay word processing costs of about $40 per hour.

Manuals, Teaching Kits, Safety Plan Comic Books, and Guides are copyrighted material and may not be reproduced by the Centers without a separate written agreement. These materials will be sold to the Center at a reduced cost.

5% Organizational Support Fee

A 5% organizational support fee on all gross income (income before expenses) is paid by the Center to Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International. This requirement includes income from all sources except the Center Organizer's own personal donations to the program--any other donations, fees, grants, sale of products except those purchased directly through the Central Office, etc. The organizational support fee helps to cover the costs of providing ongoing quality control; subsidized instructor training and conferences; ongoing program development; referrals; use of the programs names, content, and reputation; and ongoing coaching by experienced instructors.

For Centers earning less than $5,000 a year, there will be a minimum organizational support fee of $300 a year.

Liability Insurance

In the United States and Canada, Centers are covered through our two liability insurance policies—one is $2 million coverage for liability associated with teaching workshops and the other is an Officers and Directors policy. Individuals are still responsible for their own automobile liability and office premises liability and for paying worker’s compensation insurance as required in their states or provinces.

Centers in the United States and Canada that are less than two-years-old, conducting only Everyday Safety workshops and earning less than $5,000 per year will pay a minimum fee of $300 a year for insurance. New Centers will pay a prorated amount to cover increased costs if their income is over $5,000. Centers doing full force work will pay a minimum fee of $1,200 a year, which can be prorated based on when they start. After the two-year start-up period, an individual Center will pay $1,200 for up to $50,000 worth of services if full force work is conducted and $800 a year if only every day safety workshops are conducted. Centers earning more than $50,000 will pay an increasing amount of their share of the liability insurance cost depending on their level of income. These fees may need to be adjusted depending on insurance costs.

In countries outside of the United States and Canada, Centers will purchase liability insurance to provide adequate coverage for the kind of work they are doing and will take full responsibility for any liability to the organization resulting from their provision of services.

Record-Keeping Requirements

All of the following information will be kept in the Center's main office, and will be given to KIDPOWER annually or oftener on request.

Service records need to be kept of all names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other relevant information such as types of information requested and what classes they took of all people who contact your Center. This information will be entered into a data base to use for future marketing., and will submitted to Kidpower upon request. Annual statistics will be kept of the numbers of people served in each program.

Employment records need to be kept of who was paid for what type of activity for your reports to state and federal agencies for individual tax purposes and for whatever worker’s compensation requirements you have in your state or country.

Financial records need to be kept of the amount and source of income the Center receives and the amount and type of each expense the Center incurs at least monthly. The form we use in the United States is based on the categories required for our Internal Revenue Service (IRS) nonprofit reports. The IRS requires that we provide the names of contractors and major donors. We are flexible about the type of bookkeeping system used by your Center as long as clear records are kept so that we receive this information in the format we need. 

Center Startup Help and Fundraising

We provide ongoing consultation to help Centers set up and run successful programs. This consultation is provided at no charge to Centers except for their covering any long distance telephone, word processing, photocopying and postage costs. Samples of fundraising and marketing materials used by other Centers are provided and Centers are helped to adapt these materials for their own situations.

Psychological Review

We have been advised by many therapists that the best psychological screening we can do is to work intensively with people as we do in our training and center development process. We reserve the right to require psychological review or a background check by an appropriate expert at the applicant's expense if a question should surface regarding someone’s suitability for being in our organization

Conflict Resolution

Although we do our best to prevent conflict through having clear agreements and standards,  it is normal for disagreements and misunderstandings to arise when people are working together. The first step is to communicate any concerns directly to the person who is responsible--the Trainer, Executive Director, or Center Director.  If concerns are unresolved, the next step is to put them into writing.  If communication breaks down seriously, a mediator may be required. In this case, the cost of the mediator will be shared by the Center Organizer and Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International.  A serious unresolved conflict may be brought to the Board of Directors, which will have the final decision-making authority.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Center Director Certification Standards

INTRODUCTION

Center Directors are authorized to conduct services in an ongoing way in a local area under the auspices of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International. People who wish to offer workshops in a short term way are Organizers. People who run an office under the auspices of a Center are Office Managers or Program Coordinators. A Center Director is the individual who signs the Center Agreement. Sometimes two people sign the agreement, as Co-Directors.

Another person may not replace a Center Director unless that person is willing to sign the Center Agreement and is approved in writing by the Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International Executive Director. The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for supervision of all of the Center Directors.

LEVELS OF CENTER DIRECTOR CERTIFICATION

Training Status

People who are getting started are considered to be in training until they have successfully and consistently conducted a number of workshops and managed all their administrative responsibilities for at least one year.

Provisional Status

Center Directors who do not consistently meet the standards defined below are considered to have Provisional Status as a Center Director. This means that certain activities will be restricted until the standard has been met for a sustained period of time. Restrictions might be in the form of not being authorized to conduct certain activities until certain conditions are met, or of only being able to conduct these activities under close supervision of the Executive Director or someone she designates.

Certified Status

As long as a Center is successfully and consistently upholding the standards defined below, the Center Director will have full certified status for carrying out all services, funding development, and other administrative activities of the Center within the guidelines of the Center Agreement and other policies of the organization.

Supervisor Status

A Center Director who is very experienced and who has been consistently successful in meeting or exceeding all certification standards and qualities for several years can be granted Supervisor Status. This means that the Center Director can establish and supervise an office run by another person in another community in the region covered by the Center or can become responsible for guiding the development of a new Center in a different area.

Withdrawal of Certification Status

If a Center Director fails to fulfill terms of the Center Agreement and/or fails to meet these standards, Certification Status can be withdrawn. Depending on the situation, the Center Director may then have a Provisional Status as defined above; be put on probation; become inactive temporarily or permanently; or be replaced temporarily or permanently by another person designated by the Executive Director.

CERTIFICATION QUALITIES

1. Consistent commitment to the Mission, Goals, and Values of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International.

2. Good judgment in making decisions that are consistently based upon clearly perceived consequences to everyone who will be affected by the outcome of your actions. 

3. Awareness and acknowledgement of the contributions of others.

4. Commitments to self care so that you can be here for the long run and be a good role model to others.

5. Sufficient emotional and physical health to do the work necessary to run a center safely and well.

6. Commitment to seeking solutions rather than assigning blame when there is a problem or conflict.

7. Abundance thinking in the reality that we will not run out of students to teach or people to ask for help with money or other resources.

8. Honesty and realism about where your boundaries are and respect for the boundaries of others.

9. Commitment to keeping agreements.

10. Commitment to personal growth.

11. Professionalism at all times and places and with all people when your role as the local leader of Kidpower is important to our credibility.

12. Sufficient time management and planning capability to meet whatever service and training commitments are agreed upon in a healthy fashion. A Center may be very busy or only provide occasional service, as long as whatever activities take place are handled in accordance with our standards.

CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

Reporting to the Executive Director (or person she designates)

1. Is pro-active in ensuring that the Executive Director is checked in with as the supervisor and lead trainer about what is happening in the Center in terms of services, funding, organizing, community relationships, and other activities.

2. Is prompt in responding to e-mails, telephone calls, and faxes from the Executive Director or Central Office.

3. Is persistent in making sure that the Center's needs are taken care of and questions are answered. There is a huge volume of e-mail and calls in the Central Office and we need to know when something is urgent. Sometimes messages get buried and sometimes e-mail doesn't go through even when it is sent.

4. Lets Executive Director know when Center is going to be closed for a while or when Center Director is going to be unavailable.

5. Utilizes the expertise of the organization rather than reinventing the wheel or taking unnecessary risks by communicating extensively and well ahead of time with the Executive Director about any questions, concerns and new ideas in terms of class content; community presentations; interpersonal dynamics of students, staff, volunteers, and advisory board members; grant applications; administrative requirements; etc. This is especially important when any problems have come up in the past, during times of transition, when reaching out to a new group, or when wishing to integrate new material.

6. Communicates about interesting stories, good ideas that come up in teaching, etc.

7. Is honest and realistic about what does and doesn't work for you.

8. Lets the Executive Director know immediately if any injury happens to anyone as a result of your activities, if any potential problems come up (such as possible child abuse), or if there are complaints from anyone about what you or anyone in your Center is doing.

9. Provides service records and financial records to the Executive Director upon request.

10. Checks new materials developed with the Executive Director and sends the Central Office copies of any new brochures, handouts, and newsletters.

11. Is pro-active in telling Executive Director immediately about any concerns, disagreements, or potential conflicts. Works with the Executive Director in a conflict resolution mode to resolve any issues.

Communication

1. Is pro-active in communicating and sustaining excellent working relationships with all parties within our organization who might be affected by Center Director's actions including other Center Directors, Advisory Board members, staff, volunteers, trainers, other instructors, etc.

2. Projects calm confident positive energy and acts professionally in all interactions on behalf of the organization.

3. Has an active e-mail address and working telephone answering machine or voice-mail with an adult voice which says that this is the right number for your Center, which is checked almost daily.

4. Has a mailing address separate from home address and takes home address out of all public listings as soon as possible.

5. Speaks and understands spoken and written English well, or has easy access to someone who does.

6. Is sensitive to the appropriateness of language, manners, and dress and avoids being offensive to people of different cultures, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and personal histories or life situations.

7. Is able to speak and write clearly and accurately in the primary language of the area being served.

8. Responds promptly to requests for information in the area served. Makes sure that people requesting service outside the local area are given information about how to contact the appropriate Center or the Central Office.

Leadership

1. Understands and takes full responsibility for upholding the agreements, quality standards, and principles of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International.

2. Takes responsibility for ensuring that all people who are part of the Center do the same.

3. Provides supervision, guidance, and support to local instructors, volunteers, administrative staff, organizers, etc.

4. Is pro-active in reaching out to new organizations and groups that need our services and makes appropriate plans to develop the resources necessary to serve these new groups.

Logistics

1. Handles all legal responsibilities including registration at the national, state, or local level; meeting all reporting and tax requirements; keeping active liability insurance; and carrying out other responsibilities defined in the Center Agreement.

2. Ensures that only individuals certified by our organization are offering services by importing traveling instructors and/or ensuring that all certification requirements are met for people acting as instructors 

3. Ensures that financial records are kept; fiscal agreements are upheld; and funding source requirements are met.

4. Ensures that accurate up-to-date program records are kept including names and contact information for all participants and potential participants. Makes this information available to the Central Office and otherwise keeps it fully confidential.

5. Makes sure that services are conducted in a professional manner in terms of how people are handled before, during and after any workshop.

6. Hosts people who are traveling trainers or instructors according to Traveling Instructor Requirements.

Organizational Development

1. Ensures that workshops are organized.

2. Builds excellent working relationships with other agencies, individuals, and resources in the service area.

3. Establishes a Center Advisory Board to provide support. The Advisory Board offers support, credibility, recommendations, and contacts, but does not make policy because each Center is operating under the policies of the international organization.

4. Develops a base of sustained funding support in the service area through class fees; donations from individuals, businesses, and service organizations; and grants.

Evaluation

1. Is always looking for ways to make things work more effectively.

2. Is self-correcting by being honest and realistic in assessing what is working well and what needs to be improved about all activities necessary to run the Center.

3. Pro-actively solicits feedback from others by welcoming and encouraging critical feedback as well as positive comments.

4. Communicates concerns clearly in a non-attacking way.

5. Communicates enthusiastically about what is going well.

6. Makes time for preparation and follow-up of workshops, contacts, meetings, funding calls, grant applications, acknowledging donors and volunteers, etc.

7. Is pro-active and generous in identifying and acting on whatever needs to be done to make each aspect of our program and organization work as well as possible.

Business Practices

1. Meets all financial agreements to KIDPOWER in a timely fashion including paying the 5% organizational support fee; paying for insurance coverage in the United States and Canada; paying agreed-upon fees for training and equipment; etc.

2. Ensures that liability, medical, and worker's compensation insurance are covered at the level required in each country.

3. Ensures that legal requirements and risk management practices including waivers are carried out in full.

4. Takes full responsibility for meeting financial and other commitments made to other parties including staff, participants, etc.

5. Keeps up-to-date financial records in the format required by KIDPOWER.

Professional Development

1. Continues growing in leadership, program, marketing, and management skills through participation in the Kidpower Listserve, meetings, training programs, conferences, etc.

2. Stays up-to-date on what is happening in the organization and implements changes that are made.

3. At a minimum, at least every other year, attends an instructor training or conference organized by the International Central Office or arranges an instructor training or conference locally which is authorized by the Executive Director to fulfill this requirement.