Indiana Insurance Brings Safer School Seminar to Indianapolis

April 2, 2007

Indiana Insurance, a member of Liberty Mutual Group, recently announced that it will host its free, day-long Safer Schools Seminar on April 16th at Indiana University-Purdue University (UIPU) in Indianapolis, University Place Conference Center, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Indianapolis is home to Indiana Insurance’s Schools Operation Center.

Michael Dorn, an expert in school violence prevention and founder of Safe Havens International, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting schools throughout the world institute best practice school safety plans, will deliver a series of presentations on this topic.

Attendees will also hear from Pam Church, founder of Childhelp’s Good Touch-Bad Touch&. For more than 20 years, this nationally recognized abuse prevention program has provided curriculum and training to more than 6,000 educators in order to present children with positive, non-threatening, and practical information and skills so they can play a significant role in the prevention or interruption of sexual abuse and bullying.

Safe Havens International and Childhelp’s Good Touch-Bad Touch are members of Indiana Insurance’s Safety Advantage Network, a growing group of subject-matter and service specialists that supplement Indiana Insurance’s premier school loss prevention services.

“We’re bringing together best-in-class resources and professional services to give our schools the means to become safer places for learning,” said Michael D. Connell, president and chief executive officer, Indiana Insurance. “These seminars serve as cooperative forums that allow school officials, law enforcement, and our Safety Advantage Network resources to interact and understand each district’s preparedness and needs. Our School Program is committed to facilitating this cooperative approach that experts like Michael Dorn say must occur to maximize school safety.”

Polling by Safe Havens International of educators and law enforcement officials in all 50 states indicates that fewer than 10 percent of school systems have safety plans in accordance with best practice models. Despite this, school violence is not the greatest day-to-day threat to students’ safety.

“More kids will be injured on school playgrounds or unsecured facilities and equipment on a regular basis than in violent or crisis situations, so hazard and vulnerability assessments are absolutely critical in an overall safety plan,” said Steve Munro, loss prevention manager, Indiana Insurance, who oversees onsite evaluations at hundreds of Midwest schools each year.

To attend the free Safer School Seminar in Indianapolis, register online at www.mysaferschool.com, or contact Stacey Dulin at stacey.dulin@indiana-ins.com . Registration may also be completed by phone at 800-562-2424, or by fax to 317-581-6889.

Indiana Insurance offers property and casualty products, including personal and commercial coverage, distributed only through appointed independent agents. Headquartered in Loveland, Ohio, Indiana Insurance provides insurance in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

Source: Indiana Insurance