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	Safe Environmental Awareness Training Offered in U.P. Daily Press August 28, 2007 http://www.dailypress.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=13158 Marquette — As in years past, the Catholic Diocese of Marquette is requiring new clergy, as well as diocesan, parish and Catholic school employees and volunteers who have regular contact with children or youth, or are in a position to observe those who do, to attend an awareness session for the prevention of child sexual abuse. The free session, called Protecting God's Children for Adults, is being offered at various sites and on different dates throughout the Upper Peninsula from September to January 2008. Anyone who plans to work or volunteer with children or youth in the coming year and has not yet taken the training must take it during this time period. The nine Catholic schools in the diocese will host the workshops. Participants will learn the signs of child sexual abuse, the methods and means by which offenders commit abuse and five easy steps people can take to prevent that abuse. Although the session is intended for those who work and volunteer in Catholic schools and parishes, anyone in the local community is welcome to attend. The awareness sessions for the local area are scheduled for: Thursday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. at Holy Name School in Escanaba Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. at St. Francis de Sales School in Manistique People are asked to register for the awareness session via the Internet. Log on to www.virtusonline.org, click on the yellow Registration link on the left hand side of the page and follow the instructions for registering for a Protecting God's Children awareness session. Those who do not have access to a computer are asked to contact their local parish or school safe environment coordinator. In addition to participating in the three-hour workshop and completing online training, volunteers and employees must complete an authorization form for a criminal history background check. This awareness session for employees and volunteers is part of the diocese's safe environment program, which has two other components: a program for children, which is mandatory, and another for parents and guardians, which parishes are strongly encouraged but not required to offer. These measures to help prevent the sexual abuse of children and youth are required by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People that was adopted in 2002.
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