OSEGA Takes Action to Protect Athletes of Western North Carolina as a Darkness to Light “Partner in
Staff Members Trained in Award-Winning Stewards of Children® Program for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention
Asheville, NC – February 25, 2018 – OSEGA Dream Academy has achieved Partner in Prevention status, a designation awarded by the nonprofit Darkness to Light to organizations which take extra steps to protect the children they serve by training staff to understand the issue of child sexual abuse, identify unsafe situations and practices, and react responsibly in the best interest of the children they serve.
One in 10 children will be sexually abused before the age of 18. OSEGA Dream Academy earned the Partner in Prevention designation by providing Stewards of Children® training to over 90% of its management, staff, and volunteers. This evidence-informed program is scientifically proven to help participants prevent and respond to child sexual abuse. Partner in Prevention was created as a national standard to help parents and caregivers recognize organizations that take child protection seriously by implementing policy and training staff to prevent child sexual abuse.
Darkness to Light is an international organization that leads the movement to end child sexual abuse by educating and empowering adults in education, youth serving organizations, and communities to protect children. Darkness to Light has affiliates in all 50 states and 17 international locations.
"With the past climate of gymnastics in the United States, it is important to create and maintain a safe and healthy environment for the children we are training," OSEGA Compulsory Team Director, Morgan Grigsby said. "Athletes spend as much, if not more, time with their coaches as they do with their parents, and we take their safety very seriously at OSEGA."
To learn more about child sexual abuse prevention training or to enroll your organization in Darkness to Light’s “Partner in Prevention” program, please visit www.D2L.org/education/partner-in-prevention
About OSEGA Dream Academy:
OSEGA Gymnastics has a program to suit everyone, from infants developing motor skills, to disciplined competitive athletes and performers. Our Olympic-level training facility located in Mills River, North Carolina is staffed with elite USA Gymnastics certified coaches, including 4-time Olympic team coach, USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame recipient and NCAA Lifetime Achievement recipient, Miles Avery.
About Darkness to Light:
Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Through education and awareness, the organization seeks to create a safer world for children to grow and thrive. Darkness to Light’s flagship program, Stewards of Children®, is a one-of-a-kind, award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. More than 1.4 million adults have been trained using the program. For more information, visit www.D2L.org.
For further information, please contact Monica Avery at (828) 665-0004 or osegaeast@gmail.com
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