SUMMIT COUNTY — On July 12, Akron City Council approved $10,000 in funding assistance to help train volunteers as radKIDS (Resist Aggression Defensively) instructors.

This week, 17 volunteers from area schools and Summit County organizations spent four days training to become certified radKIDS instructors at Green Middle School.

The radKIDS program is a national safety education program for children ages 5 to 12 that teaches them how to proactively identify and defensively respond to a variety of situations such as bullying, abduction and inappropriate touching, according to national radKIDS program information.

The program explains to children what to do in various dangerous situations, demonstrates the necessary actions and then has children practice those techniques through drills. Children learn how to use skills such as yelling, striking out and running away in the face of danger.

The program was brought to the area through Guardians Against Sex Predators (GASP).

“It is so important for all children to be exposed to this education,” said GASP President Fran Doll.

The training session in Green was presented by Steve Daley, the Boston creator of radKIDS.

The volunteer trainees included: Cindy Acklin, Moira Clark, Claudia Grimes, Deb Biagetti, Kristy Cook and Kim Somerville, of Akron Public Schools; Akron Police Officer Jeff Tylor; Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies Mike Beers, Todd Hart and Leigh Berdette; Anna Vasserman, Robinette Vetter, Toraya Harmon and Kevin McGinnis-Weaver, all of CAP/Head Start; Julia Mothersbaugh, of the Summit County Children Services Board; Springfield Local School District physical education teacher Sheryl Merrow; and Springfield Police Officer Jamie Mizer.

Doll stated representatives from Boys and Girls Clubs and other schools and organizations are on waiting lists to be trained in a future session.

“The new instructors will begin preparing to present the program to area school children,” said Doll. “We continue to seek funding, as well as supplies and snacks to expand the program into other areas.”

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South Side Leader — 7/22/2010 -