“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping”. -Fred Rogers

 “Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping”.  -Fred Rogers

It is no secret that the past 10 months have been a challenge for everyone across the world, but this quote is one that I have strategically placed all around where I can see it and it has served as a reminder that there really are people serving as helpers all around us. 

I was an elementary school teacher in Central Indiana for 10 years prior to serving as the Director of Education and Community Relations for ICPYAS.  That experience has provided a unique viewpoint on the programs that we offer our schools, and a beneficial background as we grow and develop our offerings.  I can vividly remember sitting in my Kindergarten classroom observing the extremely professional people from ICPYAS enter my classroom with confidence teach their Body Safety program to my kids.  As I watched my students, I remember thinking “I hope that no one in here is experiencing this, but I am so thankful that someone is talking about this with them so that they know that they can talk to me, or anyone else”. 

Teachers across our nation are overwhelmed and overworked, more now than ever.  As a global pandemic has changed the way everyone is doing things, I believe that the teachers are impacted as much as anyone with the constant need to adapt and change.  Although offering our programs through a virtual platform isn’t our preferred method, we are still able to be the face that helps these students about their safe people and how to keep themselves safe.  As a teacher, I was eternally thankful that the helpers and experts were there to lead that instruction and conversation.  As a parent, I knew that the people teaching these topics to knew exactly the words to use, how to engage them in conversation, and reiterate the safety components that were necessary.

When I left the classroom, I didn’t leave the desire to help kids.  In the nearly two years that I have been at ICPYAS, I am fortunate to be able to consider myself one of those helpers, those people that work to make the world a better place.  But we can’t do it alone.  We need our whole community to step up and be the helpers for our children.