What does a TST certification mean?

Laura Savard has attended a comprehensive Safety Team® (TST) five-day training course and passed all certification requirements. TST is a Burlington-based nonprofit with a long history of developing effective community-based prevention, trauma recovery, and instructor training programs. Empowerment self-defense workshops like this are the gold standard for self-defense programs as they have demonstrated success in reducing one’s risk for violence while promoting a sense of confidence and agency.

The Level 1 (2.5-hour) workshop features a combination of large and small-group instruction and offers individualized feedback. Topics covered include, but are not limited to: 

• Information about the prevalence of violence

• Basics of affirmative consent

• Increased awareness and avoidance skills

• Strategies to improve body confidence

• Effective, easy to learn verbal and physical self-defense skills.

All physical skills can be adapted to accommodate a variety of participants’ needs. Past participants report that they leave feeling energized, with an increased understanding of their own strength and power!

All fitness levels welcome—no prior experience required! The workshops are open to women and girls ages 12+, including cisgender, transgender, and non-binary individuals. Participants aged 12–13 must be accompanied by a female parent or guardian, while those aged 14–18 need a signed waiver from a parent or legal guardian.