Empower @KIS
As an important part of the child safeguarding and protection plan, teachers instruct all children from a young age and in an age-appropriate way to:
- Understand their right to be safe and recognize abuse of this right.
- Identify people who can help to keep children safe.
- Talk to a trusted adult when they do not feel safe.
Child protection lessons align with QSI’s success orientations. In order to create a safe and supportive learning environment, QSI schools focus on:
- Concern for others: treating each other with respect and empathy.
- Group interaction: collaborating with each other and developing relationships that value equity and diversity.
- Responsibility: recognizing individual rights and protecting ourselves while respecting others.
- Trustworthiness: making decisions that are informed, fair, safe, and ethical.
- Independent Endeavor: recognizing unsafe or unfair situations and responding in a thoughtful way.
EMPOWER Skills for Safety, Success, and Global Citizenship
The EMPOWER program is an evidence-based comprehensive child development curriculum. EMPOWER was created collaboratively with QSI teachers, counselors, and administrators. The curriculum is based on the Center for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, International School counselors Association (ISCA) standards, the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA), and the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC) best practices for child protection curriculum. Each of these organizations are renowned organizations in their fields.
The curriculum interweaves the Success Orientations, Social Emotional Learning concepts, and Child Protection concepts with individual lessons throughout the year and will be taught during a weekly class time dedicated to EMPOWER. These lessons will give students a well-rounded set of skills to help them throughout their lives. The curriculum will include:
| Success Orientation Concept Strands | Social Emotional Learning Concept Strands | Child Protection Concept Strands |
| Kindness and Politeness | Self-Awareness | Body Privacy |
| Concern For Others | Self-Management | Personal/Social Safety |
| Responsibility | Social-Awareness | Abuse |
| Trustworthiness | Relationship Skills | Trusted Networks |
| Group Interaction | Responsible Decision Making | Self-Advocacy |
| Aesthetic Appreciation | Personal Rights | |
| Independent Endeavor |
There are specific lessons for each grade that are developmentally appropriate for that age level. Concepts might be repeated each year; however, the lessons will be different depending on the age of the students. Teachers will be communicating with parents about the lessons that will be taught to your child/children.