The La Porte Police Department recently welcomed undefeated mixed martial arts fighter and former WWE Tough Enough Champion Daniel Puder and about 20 local teens for an advanced look into concepts on maturity, personal growth techniques, and life choice training. Puder is the founder and primary spokesperson for the My Life My Power (MLMP) program, an anti-bullying campaign which emphasis on self-confidence and includes a curriculum targeting teens.
Members of LPPD’s Support Service staff joined Puder as did School Resource Officers (SRO) assigned to various district schools. Members of LPPD’s Youth Explorer program represented local youth from various neighborhoods and schools throughout the city. The Explorers are made up of teens 13-18 who are shown various aspects of within the law enforcement field. These members work closely with police officers during community programs and events.
Puder created MLMP in 2010 as a personal project in order to confront bullying and promote better decision-making practices among youth. Puder has been open about his weight issues as a teen and being enrolled in special education classes, which caused him to be an easy target for bullying. When he began to hear about young people committing suicide because bullying, and felt a personal connection to the issue. In response, Puder created MLMP and implemented the system in schools and after-school programs in the hopes of preventing tragic consequences of bullying
The objective of MLMP is to empower youth and young adults and while it was established to combat bullying, the program also takes on other issues teens can be faced with, such as suicide, self-mutilation, drop-out truancy, drug and alcohol addictio, physical and sexual abuse, eating disorders, teen pregnancy, gang violence, childhood obesity, homelessness, financial literacy, and physical and mental disorders.
For more information on the MLMP program, visit www.mylifemypower.org. Or if someone you know is 13-18 years of age and is interested in learning more about LPPD’s Youth Explorer program, the website link is www.ci.la-porte.tx.us/gov/police/support/youth_explorer_program/default.asp. LPPD’s Officer Roger Gonzalez can also be reached at 281-842-3183 for more information.