New SAFE Initiative launches in Rexburg with free digital safety workshop
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REXBURG — A new volunteer-led effort aimed at strengthening families and protecting children is holding its first free community workshop this month, bringing together local law enforcement, national experts and a cross-section of community professionals.
The Upper Valley SAFE Initiative, which stands for Safety, Awareness, Freedom, and Education, will hold its inaugural event, “Family Protection Through Digital Safety,” on Monday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Rexburg City Hall Council Chamber. The workshop is free and open to the public.
Founded by Dean and Kristin Coleman, the SAFE Initiative focuses on prevention through education, offering families practical tools to reduce risks, identify warning signs, and strengthen safety at home, online and in the community.
“We brought together a cross section of professionals who are in diverse areas and we asked them, ‘What are the best trainings you’ve ever received professionally…and if you were to take four or five of the most important things our community needs to know, what would those things be?'” Kristin Coleman tells EastIdahoNews.com. “What kept coming back was that families are the ones who need this information the most.”
Over the past year, the initiative has grown into a task force of therapists, educators, case managers, law enforcement, practitioners and community leaders — all volunteering their time. The Colemans say they were stunned when nearly 40 people attended their first meeting and unanimously committed to helping.
“Everyone is most concerned about their most precious commodity — their family and their children,” Kristin Coleman says. “We’ve got really incredible professionals who are volunteering their time to train our community to strengthen and keep people safe.”
The Jan. 26 workshop will feature Rexburg Police Department Lt. Dustin Hirschi, cybersecurity expert Ryan Washington and BYU-Idaho Family Studies and Child Development professor Tim Rarick.
The session will outline online threats, digital exploitation, warning signs parents may miss, and the rapid evolution of AI platforms.
“Millennial parents, Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids are very technically proficient,” Dean Coleman says. “But they’re often naïve to the risks. They don’t know what they don’t know, and many don’t even know what questions to ask their schools or their children.”
More than online safety
While digital safety is a primary concern, the SAFE Initiative includes multiple committees focused on suicide awareness, emotional regulation, life skills, basic emergency preparedness and exploitation prevention.
One committee has already developed a complete life-skills curriculum that will soon launch as an after-school program in a local charter school. The group is also working with BYU–Idaho interns and hopes area schools will welcome them in.
“We’re not here to detract from anything,” Kristin Coleman explains. “We’re here to support, to amplify and to fill in gaps.”
The Colemans say one of the biggest surprises is the depth of expertise hiding in plain sight in Rexburg — pediatricians, case managers, police leaders, therapists, technologists and others who live next door and are eager to help.
For the Colemans, launching SAFE is also about encouraging residents to get involved, build community and reduce fear.
“Everything happening in the world can be paralyzing,” Dean Coleman says. “But service is one of the best ways to reduce anxiety and feel empowered. You can’t control everything, but you can strengthen your community.”
A survey will be distributed at the end of the workshop on Jan. 26 to guide future topics. SAFE plans to host trainings quarterly.