Safe Environment Curriculum for Children and Youth
“The whole Church, at both the diocesan/eparchial and national levels, must be engaged in maintaining safe environments in the Church for children and young people.” USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People
Safe and Sacred
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley approved the implementation of the safe environment program Safe and Sacred to be implemented beginning July 1, 2020 in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Safe and Sacred provides training for adult volunteers, clergy, staff, and employees who work and volunteer with children and vulnerable adults. Volunteer teens are asked to complete training through a separate program tailored to the teen’s developmental level. Safe and Sacred also provides a safe environment curriculum for the parents and their children.
Teen Volunteer Program
We are blessed to have responsible teen volunteers working with children in our archdiocese. Safe and Sacred is designed to train teens in the safe environment protocol at an age appropriate level. Please contact the parish safe environment facilitator for more information and to complete the teen volunteer training.
Children’s Curriculum
The children’s learning program is an age-appropriate curriculum that addresses challenges children and youth face in the 21st century. Children in pre-K through 12th grade are taught along with their peers in a typical classroom setting by a trained catechist. Each session is about 45 minutes to one hour. Each grade has its own lesson and teaching materials to download and use. Examples of lessons presented on an age appropriate level include personal safety, technology safety, bullying, and more.
Parent Engagement
Effective learning necessitates a partnership between parents and the catechist. All parents are given the opportunity to pre-view the materials prior to the child’s participation in the program. Students further benefit from take-home materials intended to assist with creating a framework for family-wide discussions. Parents are given tips on engaging their child/ren in conversation to enhance and continue the learning environment at home. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in accordance with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops requires all children receive the opportunity for Safe Environment Training. Parents are given the opportunity to have the option to present the training to their children at home or may choose to opt-out after reviewing the materials. When choosing to opt-out, parents will be asked to complete and sign an opt-out form.
For more information, parents should contact the parish catechetical leader.
