CLINTON, Ill (WAND) - The Self-Awareness Program at Clinton High School is designed to teach teen girls how to be aware of their surroundings and what to do if they find themselves in trouble.
School Resource Officer Mike Bennett introduced the program to CHS four years ago. Officer Bennett explains the program was first developed while he was working in Leroy. Then when he returned to Clinton, where he introduced the program to the high school.
"The biggest thing we teach and the most important thing we teach is the awareness portion of it on the first day. We talk about being aware of your surroundings and kind of giving them some clues about how to keep out of a problem." explains Officer Bennett.
The program is taught in the classroom, then by the end of the week the girls are put into real-life scenarios. Principal Jerry Wayne and Assistant Principal Bob Svencner suited up to help Officer Bennett teach the girls about what happens if someone comes from behind and attacks.
"Our ladies here at the high school have the opportunity to be trained and have some idea about how to protect themselves," explains principal Wayne.
With the help of school leaders and local officials the teens were able to get an understanding on how to protect themselves if them find themselves in danger.
"It starts off with being aware of your surroundings and making sure that you're not getting lost in the shuffle, but also having some skills and abilities to be able to say look I'm in that situation, what can I do to make sure that I'm as safe as possible," explains principal Wayne.
Officer Bennett and Principal Wayne both agreed the Self-Awareness Program is a great way to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and teens.
"The relationship that we create with these young ladies. They get to see us on a little bit of a different level rather than lights in the rear-view mirror," explains Officer Bennett.
"It's good to see kids see police officers in a different light," explains Principal Wayne.
A principal and assistant principal taking some bruises and an officer dedicating his time to make sure students safety goes beyond school walls.
"I want our kids, girl and boys, all of them to be able to recognize and take care of themselves. We do these things to ensure that in the world we live in today, you just never know. We want to make sure they have those abilities to do what they need to do," explains Principal Wayne.
Officer Bennett hopes the program will continue throughout years to come. He says the school and department have had nothing but positive feedback from the community.
