Free Self-Defense Class for Women and Girls Offered April 8

Olivia Zuehlsdorff has spent years helping Otter Tail County residents navigate the aftermath of violence. On April 8, the Someplace Safe crime victim advocate wants to help women and girls avoid it in the first place.

ISD 544 Community Education and Someplace Safe are offering a free two-hour self-defense class from 6 to 8 p.m. on April 8, open to women and girls aged 10 and older. Though the class carries no cost, preregistration is required. Registration is available by calling ISD 544 Community Education at 218-998-0544, extension 9200.

The April session is timed intentionally: it falls during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, part of a twice-yearly rhythm Someplace Safe has maintained with Community Education in Fergus Falls. A second class is offered each October in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"We now partner with Community Education in Fergus Falls to host the class locally," Zuehlsdorff said. "Typically, we offer two sessions each year, one in the spring in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month and another in October for Domestic Violence Awareness Month."

The April class draws on more than 30 years of Someplace Safe delivering self-defense instruction across Otter Tail County. The organization, a nonprofit based in Fergus Falls, works with victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, stalking, elder abuse, and other crimes, supporting them through the social, emotional, and economic fallout on the path to becoming survivors.

For Zuehlsdorff, making the class both free and open to girls as young as 10 reflects the organization's belief that prevention starts early. "Personal safety is important, and learning basic self-defense skills can help you handle dangerous situations more effectively," she said.