Indiana Insurance to Hold Safer School Seminar at Illinois State University

Indiana Insurance, a member of Liberty Mutual Group, has announced that it will host its third of four free, day-long Safer Schools Seminars on Mar. 20, 2007 at Illinois State University in Normal, Ill.

Michael Dorn, an expert in school violence prevention and founder of Safe Havens International, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting schools throughout the world institute best practice school safety plans, will deliver a series of presentations on this topic.

Attendees will also hear from Pam Church, founder of Childhelp’s Good Touch-Bad Touch. According the company news release, for more than 20 years, this nationally recognized abuse prevention program has provided curriculum and training to more than 6,000 educators in order to present children with positive, non-threatening, and practical information and skills so they can prevent or interrupt sexual abuse and bullying.

Safe Havens International and Childhelp’s Good Touch-Bad Touch are members of Indiana Insurance’s Safety Advantage Network, a growing group of subject-matter and service specialists that supplement Indiana Insurance’s school loss prevention services. The 2007 Safer Schools Seminars follow a successful inaugural seminar in Columbus, Ohio last October, at which 200 school administrators and resource officers attended to learn about best practice school safety plans.

“We’re bringing together best-in-class resources and professional services to give our schools the means to become safer places for learning,” said Michael D. Connell, president and chief executive officer, Indiana Insurance. “These seminars serve as cooperative forums that allow school officials, law enforcement and our Safety Advantage Network resources to interact and understand each district’s preparedness and needs. Our School Program is committed to facilitating this cooperative approach that experts like Michael Dorn say must occur to maximize school safety.”

Polling by Safe Havens International of educators and law enforcement officials in all 50 states indicates that fewer than 10 percent of school systems have safety plans in accordance with best practice models.

Dorn will discuss the comprehensive school safety-planning model used by more than 8,000 public and private schools throughout the nation. He will address realistic anti-terrorism measures, emergency preparedness, weapons in schools, crisis planning, access control measures, the consequences of school bullying, and school hazard and vulnerability assessments.

To attend any of the free Safer School Seminars presented by Indiana Insurance, register online at www.mysaferschool.com, or contact Stacey Dulin at stacey.dulin@indiana-ins.com . Registration may also be completed by phone at 800-562-2424, or by fax to 317-581-6889.

Source: Indiana Insurance

Topics Education Illinois Universities