Mark Lipps, Lake County Rotary Area Governor
Ciara Shuttleworth, Executive Director ciara@pollyklaas.org
Polly Klaas Foundation
Lake County Rotary Clubs and Local Schools Unite to Protect Youth from Online Predators
LAKE COUNTY, CA – December 15, 2025 — In a major collaborative effort to ensure student safety, the Rotary Clubs of Kelseyville, Lakeport, and Clearlake have joined forces with Lake County School Districts to launch a pilot protection initiative against sex trafficking and exploitation.
Recognizing that schools are the heart of the community, this partnership leverages the strengths of both organizations. The Rotary Clubs have secured the necessary funding and leadership to license the Polly Klaas Foundation’s expert "Social Media Safety Education" (SMSE) program. In turn, the local school districts are acting as the operational hub for this initiative, generously providing campus facilities, childcare and dinner to ensure every family can attend these critical training sessions.
A Community-Wide Defense
Local leaders identified that Lake County is vulnerable to exploitation. With statistics showing that 85% of missing children are runaways—many lured by adult predators online—the schools and Rotary agreed that immediate, united action was required.
President of Kelseyville Rotary, Michael Contos, commented, "The urgency to act is clear, and Rotary is stepping up to lead this vital effort." Clearlake Rotary President, Zabdy Neria added, "I am incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such supportive partners from across the lake as we join this urgent fight against child exploitation. Parents in our community are actively seeking guidance and support to get the crucial message across to our vulnerable youth: that danger is, tragically, often only a click away."
Student-Led Pilot Program
This collaboration goes beyond simple presentations; it empowers students to protect one another. The pilot launches with assemblies at Kelseyville Middle School in late January, where trained High School students will teach 6th, 7th, and 8th graders under the supervision of the Polly Klaas Foundation.
"We are proud to pilot this program in Kelseyville," said the President of the Rotary Club of Kelseyville Sunrise. "By empowering our High School students to teach middle schoolers, we can foster a culture of safety. Kids listen to their peers".
Public Events: Dinner and Education
To support families, the participating schools are removing barriers to attendance. The Rotary Clubs and Schools invite their students, families and staff to five presentations held throughout January. All events begin at 5:30 PM and include dinner, education, childcare and door prizes.
Event Schedule:
* Thursday, January 8: Kelseyville/Lakeport at Kelseyville High School
* Tuesday, January 27: Middletown Middle School
* Wednesday, January 28: Upper Lake/Lucerne at the Upper Lake Middle School
* Thursday, January 29: Konocti Unified (English) at Obsidian Middle School
* Friday, January 30: Konocti Unified (Spanish) at Obsidian Middle School
"Educating the parents of our young adults may be the difference between life or unspeakable heartbreak," said Lake County Rotary Area Governor Mark Lipps.
Ciara Shuttleworth, Executive Director of the Polly Klaas Foundation, emphasized the importance of this partnership: "It is no longer that a predator might come in through an unlocked door; what we address now is how to keep your children safe in their own bedrooms through online safety education".
Acknowledgments
The Rotary Clubs of Lake County wish to thank Supervisors Crandell and Pyska for their support. A special thank you is also extended to the Lake County schools for donating the venue, dinner and staff for these meetings.
Redbud Health Care District is a major sponsor.
About Rotary and Contact
The Rotary Clubs of Lake County (Kelseyville, Lakeport, and Clearlake) are neighbors, friends, and community leaders who unite to create positive, lasting change in our communities and around the world.
For more information on this project, please contact Kelseyville Rotary at kelseyvillerotary@gmail.com.