PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) —Philadelphia Parks and Recreation is offering a new program this summer: a self-defense class just for girls.
Five girls between the ages of 10 and 15 sat in a circle outside the 12th and Cambria rec center, discussing what makes someone strong — muscles? Or mental qualities — like trying something new even if you won’t be perfect at it.
“I’m not afraid of making mistakes, but you can also learn from your mistakes,” one girl said.
It was the first session of a six-week pilot program, called Safe-Her, a self-defense class specifically for girls.
Program manager Valerie Arhondakis said Parks and Rec wanted to improve safety while instilling confidence and empowerment.
“To teach them skills, life skills, but specifically for being able to protect themselves from things that could harm them in society today,” she said.
They are learning situational awareness, de-escalation and physical techniques for getting out of danger, but coach Chris Burns said it’s all mental first.
“If you believe in yourself, you can do anything, whether it’s work or self-defense, so you gotta get the mind straight,” he said.
Burns is leading the program at four rec centers throughout the city and hopes to expand next year.
“If we can change one person’s life, it makes the whole program successful,” he added.
