B.E. S.M.A.R.T. © About Personal Safety Program
B.E. S.M.A.R.T. is Prevent Child Abuse Delaware’s age-appropriate, school-based prevention program designed to help children build the skills they need to feel safe, confident, and supported—at school, at home, and in their communities.
Through engaging lessons and trusted relationships, students learn how to recognize feelings, set boundaries, identify safe adults, and ask for help when something doesn’t feel right. The program grows with students, introducing concepts gradually and thoughtfully as they develop.
B.E. S.M.A.R.T. is offered to students in Pre-K through 8th grade and is delivered by trained PCAD’s Prevention Education Specialists during the school day.
Our Approach
Lessons are interactive, developmentally appropriate, and grounded in a strengths-based approach. We focus on empowering children—not frightening them—by giving them language, tools, and trusted support systems.
For our youngest learners, we use PA Bear, a friendly and familiar teaching tool that helps introduce important safety concepts in a way that feels approachable, engaging, and non-threatening.
As students grow, lessons build on prior learning, helping them apply safety skills to real-world situations, including online and community settings.
Children also receive an activity book that reinforces the concepts taught during the program. Each book includes family follow-up activities to help caregivers continue these important conversations at home. A complementary guide for parents is availabel by clicking here.
B.E. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
Be Aware
Express Feelings
Stay Safe
Make Good Choices
Always Check First
Rely On Your Gut
Talk and Tell
What Students Learn — By Grade Level:
Our B.E. S.M.A.R.T. Partners
PA Bear Program
One 30-minute session per classroom
At this age, the focus is on building emotional awareness and understanding personal safety in simple, concrete ways. Students learn to:
- Recognize and talk about different feelings
- Understand the difference between "public" and private places
- Learn that everyone has four private body areas
- Identify the difference between good, bad, and secret touches
- Learn and practice the three safety rules
- Begin identifying safe adults they can go to for help
One 45-minute session per classroom
Building on earlier lessons, students deepen their understanding of safety and trusted relationships. They learn to:
- Tell the difference between secrets and surprises
- Understand when to “check first” with a trusted adult
- Identify characteristics of a safe person
- Recognize safe people both inside and outside the home
- Name and trust their internal “uh-oh” feeling
Two 45-minute sessions per classroom
As students become more independent, lessons expand to help them recognize unsafe situations and know how to respond. Students learn to:
- Identify the four types of child abuse (introduced gently and age-appropriately)
- Learn what to do in potentially dangerous situations at home, online, or in the community
- Recognize and respond when they experience the “uh-oh” feeling
- Identify behaviors that signal whether a person is safe
Two 45-minute sessions per classroom
At this stage, students focus more intentionally on boundaries and personal rights. They learn to:
- Define personal boundaries
- Recognize when boundaries are being crossed
- Understand what to do and who to tell if boundaries are violated
One 45-minute session per classroom
Older students apply what they’ve learned to more complex, real-life scenarios. Lessons focus on:
- Applying safety skills and decision-making strategies in dangerous or uncomfortable situations
- Reinforcing help-seeking behaviors and trusted support systems
More information coming soon.
- Brick Mill Early Childhood Center
- Appo Preschool Center
- Cedar Lane Early Childhood Center
- Townsend Early Childhood Center
- Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center
- Bunker Hill Elementary
- Brick Mill Elementary
- Cedar Lane Elementary
- Crystal Run Elementary
- Lorewood Grove Elementary
- Olive B. Loss Elementary
- Townsend Elementary
- Old State Elementary
- Silver Lake Elementary
- Meredith Middle
- Waters Middle
- Cantwell Bridge Middle
- Redding Middle
- Springer Middle
- Talley Middle
- P.S. duPont Middle
- Love Creek Elementary
- Milton Elementary
- O. Brittingham Elementary
- Lewes Elementary
- Rehoboth Elementary
- Beacon Middle
- Frederick Thomas Middle
- Mariner Middle
- Sussex Consortium
- Booker T. Washington Elementary
- Central Elementary
- Hartly Elementary
- South Dover Elementary
- North Dover Elementary
- Towne Point Elementary
- KCCS (Kent County Community School)
- Middle School of Innovation/Excellence
- Capital Early Childhood Center
- East Dover Early Childhood Center
- Fairview Early Childhood Center
- Bayard Elementary
- Brader Elementary
- Brookside Elementary
- Downes Elementary
- Gallaher Elementary
- Jones Elementary
- Keene Elementary
- Leasure Elementary
- Maclary Elementary
- Marshall Elementary
- McVey Elementary
- Oberle Elementary
- Pritchett Elementary
- Pulaski Early Education Center
- Smith Elementary
- John M. Clayton Elementary
- Long Neck Elementary
- North Georgetown Elementary
- Showell Elementary
- East Millsboro Elementary
- Georgetown Elementary
- Lord Baltimore Elementary
- Howard T. Ennis
- Southern DE School of the Arts
- Lake Forest East Elementary
- Lake Forest North Elementary
- Lake Forest South Elementary
- Lake Forest Central Elementary
- Chipman Middle
- Delaware Early Childhood Center
- Richardson Park Elementary
- Warner Elementary
- Lewis Elementary
- Johnson Elementary
- Forest Oak Elementary
- Heritage Elementary
- Cooke Elementary
- North Star Elementary
- Meadowood Program
- Early Learning Center
- Linden Hill Elementary
- Richey Elementary
- Shortlidge Elementary
- Brandywine Springs School
- Mote Elementary
- Marbrook Elementary
- Baltz Elementary
- A.I. duPont Middle
- Cab Calloway Middle
- Stanton Middle
- Skyline Middle
- Conrad Middle
- H.B. duPont Middle
- Dickinson Middle
- First State School
- Clayton Elementary
- Smyrna Elementary
- North Smyrna Elementary
- Sunnyside Elementary
- Clayton Intermediate
- John Bassett Moore
- Sussex Montessori
- Sussex Academy
- Academy of Dover Charter
- Providence Creek Academy Charter
- O.T. Charter
- Odyssey Charter
- Academia Antonia Alonso Charter
- Gateway Charter
- Newark Charter
- First State Montessori Academy (FSMA)
- Thomas Edison Charter
- Serviam School for Girls
- Tower Hill School
- St. Mary Magdalen
- St. Ann’s
- St. John the Beloved
- St. Anthony’s of Padua
- Leach/Colwyck School
Bring B.E. S.M.A.R.T. to Your School,
Camp, or Faith-Based Organization
B.E. S.M.A.R.T. is designed to support schools, educators, and families by reinforcing consistent, age-appropriate safety messaging in a trusted environment.
If you are interested in bringing B.E. S.M.A.R.T. to your school or district, we’d love to connect. Please complete the form below and someone from our team will be in touch soon.