Grant funds self-defense classes for female students

A $2,000 grant from the Community High School District 94 Educational Foundation will allow the West Chicago high school to continue providing self-defense classes to its female students as it has done for the past two years.

The foundation has accepted a gift from foundation member and alumnus Dennis Hughes and his wife, Lynn, in the amount of $1,000. This is the first gift from their newly formed Dennis and Lynn 67 Foundation.

The grant is to be used to continue the self-defense classes for girls. NorthStar Credit Union of Warrenville has matched the donation, bringing the total to $2,000.

The self-defense techniques are taught during physical education courses at the high school. The physical education department saw the need to provide a course for students who will be heading off to college or will be on their own in a few years.

Statistics show one in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point during their lives, and one in four college women will be sexually assaulted by the time they graduate.

Instructor Mike Theriault of the Brave Way Training System has continued to bring his program to the school. Last fall, he worked with more than 30 female students on two consecutive days for 50 minutes each day and he repeated that in classes this spring.

The Safe Student program is one of the easiest-to-learn and most effective self-defense systems available. The techniques work regardless of a person's age, size, strength, speed, experience or physical abilities.

Physical education teacher Kim Wallner said the department hopes to build on the program.

"Mike Theriault has visited us both in the first and second semester this school year and has spent two days going over self-defense strategies, strikes and maneuvers to handle a variety of dangerous situations," Wallner said.

"We plan on implementing his strategies into our curriculum in the future and reinforcing the important concepts he emphasizes. We plan on using the donation for further guest speakers and some additional equipment needed to refine our skills."

For information on the program, contact Bill Lech, physical education division chairman, at blech@d94.org or (630) 876-6481. For information about the educational foundation, visit d94.org/foundation.