Spotlight On

Mission:
To empower the children of the world and awaken the victorious child within us all by instilling the knowledge and awareness for self-protection, and the inspiration to champion others. The Network's goal is to reach millions of youth and teach them how to stay safe from crime and violence.

Background:
The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network, Inc. was founded in 1985 by a group of retired law enforcement and military officers. The Network is dedicated to empowering children and adults to become champions, active citizens and protectors through education.

The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 7 out of 10 girls and 3 out of 7 boys will be victimized before they reach the age of 18. Also, the Department of Corrections reports that over 550,000 convicted child sexual predators have been released from prison and are living within America’s communities. It is reported that only 10% of child sexual predators are caught, which means that 90%, or approximately 7 million individuals who victimize children may never be apprehended.

Mothers Against Predators (M.A.P) has joined forces with the Network and is sponsoring the free giveaway of the award winning Good Knight character development abduction prevention materials for families, schools, and concerned organizations. The bilingual (English/Spanish) materials expose the ten psychological deceptions that predators seduce their victims online or in person. Since 1985, this program has reached over 15 million families worldwide.

Current Programs:
Through the use of a multi-cultural knighthood theme, the Good Knight Program entrusts "Good Knights" with a quest to protect others by preventing crimes and violence against children. Good Knights abide by a code of honor and learn to protect themselves, their friends and their families by learning the ABC's of Safety. After learning the ABC's of Safety, a newly inducted Good Knight is sent on a quest to teach his friends what he has learned, thereby educating others. This educational process instills self-esteem and good citizenship.

The innovative approach of the Good Knight Program:

• Promotes character development, conflict resolution and leadership skills.
• Is proven to have a 95% retention rate for youth.
• Has reached over 10 million families nationwide.
• Highlights the behavior patterns of predators to easily identify potentially dangerous individuals before crimes are committed.
• Provides information in an easy to learn format so children and adults can acquire basic protection skills to stay safe in their community.
• Activates volunteers to join in the fight against crime and violence.

The program is presented by the Network’s certified instructors, who travel to schools, festivals and other community gatherings nationwide, or it can be taught individually through the use of the Network’s educational materials.

Funding Needs:
The Network needs help spreading the word about the free materials available at its web site. It also needs donations to continue the free giveaway indefinitely. Funds are always needed to provide seminars to youth at "The Good Knight Castle," as well as to allow the program to travel nationwide.

The "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving the Metropolitan Washington, DC community. The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.

If you'd like to see your NPO in the "Spotlight," e-mail a description of your organization, following the above format, to dclibrary@foundationcenter.org, with "Spotlight Submission" in the subject line.