Christy Pace/Susan Barnes, Neighbor

Susan Barnes and Christy Pace created The COREMatters Project, a nonprofit organization that provides a multidimensional classroom experience to empower kids and teach them how to be more resilient in the face of adversity. It focuses on social-emotional learning, empathy and respect-building instruction through cooperative learning activities, role playing, classroom discussions, individual work and taekwondo. Approximately 1,000 kids have gone through the program since it began in 2011. For more information visit http://www.thecoremattersproject.com/.

Christy and Susan, a 23-year police veteran, and a 22-year veteran of a large non-for-profit specializing in municipal safety and crime prevention programs have spent years teaching kids what they can do to stay safe on their way to and from school, bullying, teen drug and alcohol use, Internet and social networking safety, peer pressure and the need to fit in, Also to adults, elder abuse and safety.

Christy's passion for child safety arose out of maternal instinct to keep her own kids safe. In 14 years as a crime prevention/drug education officer for the Palos Heights Police Department, and 8 1/2 with the Midlothian Police Department she taught DARE curriculum to tens of thousands of kids in the classroom and trained thousands of law enforcement officials as DARE officers.

Christy and Susan have seen firsthand what does and doesn’t work.

They also co-own Safety Education Alliance of America, the nation’s premier supplier of printed safety materials for all ages.