Additional information
by Alice Burroughs (Illustrator), Mary Jo Podgurski (Author)
Inside Out: Your Body is Amazing Inside and Out and Belongs Only to You is an innovative approach to child abuse prevention that is body-positive, affirming, and empowering. Replacing programs that place the burden on prevention on the child, the diverse children in this interactive coloring book teach seven "big" lessons to their peers. With a focus of targeting third and fourth graders, Dr. Podgurski conducted four focus groups to ascertain content: 1. Third graders; 2. Parents of third graders; 3. Adolescent survivors of sexual and physical abuse; and 4. Adult survivors of sexual and physical abuse. Inside Out is meant to be a communication aid for trusted adults and children. Parents of little ones as young as 6 have used the book with their children; opening the door to a conversation about bodies, privacy and personhood is vital in today's culture. Ideally each child will have a trusted adult or parent to guide them through this material. Two school districts are currently piloting the program in fourth grades. Dr. Podgurski has been honored to work with young people and families since the Seventies; Inside Out is a gift to them. The resiliency of the children she's been privileged to serve motivates her to seek educational tools that respect diversity, honor difference, and empower youth.
Author Biography
Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski is the founder and director of The Washington Hospital Teen Outreach and the Academy for Adolescent Health in Washington, Pa. She is a nurse, a counselor, a parent, a trainer and speaker, and an educator who is dedicated to serving young people. Together with her staff, the Outreach reaches over 18,000 youth and teens annually. Check out www.healthyteens.com for information on the Academy and its programs. Dr. Podgurski is certified as a childbirth educator through Lamaze International, as a sexuality educator and sexuality counselor through AASECT and as an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program trainer. She is the author of the Ask Mary Jo weekly column in the Observer-Reporter newspaper and answers 6-10 texts from young people daily. Most importantly, Mary Jo and her partner Rich are the parents of three wonderful adult children and are blessed to be grandparents.
