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This free one-hour class provides an overview of IMPACT Bay Area's approach to personal safety. We think of self-defense as a spectrum that starts with the first feelings in your body when you notice a situation might not be safe, through physical self-defense if necessary, all the way to what you can do to take care of yourself after something happens. In this class, you will develop intuition, situational awareness, congruent body language, and verbal skills to deescalate and deter assault and harassment, as well as learn two simple and effective physical techniques.

This class repeats monthly on the third Thursday.

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3 Saturdays: February 20, February 27, March 6
10:00-11:30am all dates

At IMPACT we believe that oppression is a form of violence, whether it’s based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender, ability, age, or any combination of these and other perceived characteristics. This class series introduces tools and considerations for interrupting harmful words or behaviors and provides a safe space for practicing. Because of the progressive nature of this series, we ask that you commit to participating in all three dates.

In this series, you will learn:

• Internal skills for noticing oppression
• Grounding techniques for regulating our own emotions
• How to identify and set boundaries with strangers, acquaintances, and peers
• Deescalation techniques to deter assault and harassment
• Best practices for bystander intervention when witnessing oppression
• Considerations for making the decision to interrupt
• Specific strategies for interrupting bias and microaggressions

We will practice the skills in role plays against a mock assailant to boost confidence for real-world interactions.  We know these are tough conversations -- that’s why we practice.  Open to participants of all genders ages 18+.

Suggested donation $30-90 for the full series, no one turned away for lack of funds.  Donate at impactbayarea.org/donate.

This two-hour workshop focuses on preventing stranger and peer violence while empowering students to understand, respect, and defend their own boundaries. Participants have the opportunity to practice verbal boundary setting with strangers as well as people they know. Participants learn to honor their own intuition, set and defend their boundaries, and gain increased confidence and safety skills. This class is open to participants of all genders ages 12-16.

Este curso de 90 minutos se enfoca en hablar sobre nuestras experiencias durante la pandemia y ofrece herramientas para apoyar el manejo de la adrenalina y para estar más presente. En IMPACT, trabajamos con la respuesta adrenalina del cuerpo porque es este sistema el que se activa cuando está estresado/a/e. En este curso, los participantes van a aprender y practicar herramientas para procesar y manejar su propia adrenalina, incluyendo voz, movimiento, y visualización, y recibirán un conjunto de herramientas para el autocuidado aumentado. En español.

This free one-hour class provides an overview of IMPACT Bay Area's approach to personal safety. We think of self-defense as a spectrum that starts with the first feelings in your body when you notice a situation might not be safe, through physical self-defense if necessary, all the way to what you can do to take care of yourself after something happens. In this class, you will develop intuition, situational awareness, congruent body language, and verbal skills to deescalate and deter assault and harassment, as well as learn two simple and effective physical techniques.

This class repeats monthly on the third Thursday.

This 90-minute class focuses on discussing our current lived experience during the pandemic and offers supportive tools for grounding and adrenaline management. At IMPACT, we work with the adrenal response of the body because it's this system that comes on alert when stressed. In this class, participants will learn and practice skills to process and manage their own adrenaline, including voice, movement, and visualization, and will leave with an enhanced toolkit for self-care.