On Friday, students attending The Study, a private school in Soldotna, painted the snowbank in front of their school blue and put up pinwheels to commemorate “Go Blue Day,” an awareness event kicking off April’s Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Around 12:30 p.m., the school’s parking lot was filled with students painting the snow and placing their pinwheels. A large sign faced the road that read “There’s no excuse for child abuse.”

Abby Struffert leads the South Central Alliance for Family Resilience, which she said operates under Change 4 the Kenai, focusing on preventing adverse childhood experiences. She said Go Blue Day is about making a scene and raising awareness of child abuse, which she said is “happening all around us.”

The Study, Struffert said, is able to be a part of the conversation because they serve the community both by hosting students in its academic programs, but also through extracurriculars like piano and tutoring.

The impacts of child abuse and adverse childhood experiences can be seen in the classroom, she said.

“People not being present, not being able to complete their homework. They might be hungry, being neglected, whatever that looks like,” she said.

Being aware is the first step, but Struffert said action needs to follow.

“I think it’s easy to put a blanket over your head, or blinders on, and assume that it’s not happening because maybe your house is a highly functioning house or you’re not seeing the adversities in your own home,” she said. “But I think it’s important to know that this is happening all around us and it’s time to start talking about it.”

That action element will be the focus of a town hall on June 3 at the Peninsula Center Mall. Struffert said that at that time Change 4 the Kenai will share the results of their recent 100% Alaska survey, which identified 10 vital services as being integral to a healthy community and asked respondents to gauge how accessible those services are. For each of the 10 services, a work group will be established “to dig deeper and actually make some difference,” Struffert said.

The town hall will begin at noon with a free obstacle course hosted by River City Cheer, followed by the meeting at 3. Food and child care will be provided, and a movie screening will take place in the mall’s Puffin’s Playland.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Students place pinwheels in snow painted a vibrant blue at The Study in Soldotna, Alaska, as they commemorate Go Blue Day on Friday, March 31, 2023, to kick off Child Abuse Prevention Month. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)