In-Person Classes
IMPACT has scholarships available for all classes and we also accept payment through the Massachusetts Victim’s Compensation program. To learn more about Victim’s Compensation benefits, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-victims-of-violent-crime-compensation
To apply for a scholarship please visit the “Scholarship Opportunities” page located at the bottom of the Public Classes menu or click here.
To pay through Victim’s Compensation please email us at: classes@impactboston.org
Classes are listed chronologically. To be notified of new classes, dates and when registration opens, please click here.
Note: due to high demand, we will be adding more free, community workshops that are open to the public. Please stay tuned for dates and locations.
Women’s Introduction to Self-Defense
2-hour workshop, free, open women/girls & nonbinary folks who would feel comfortable in a women’s class, ages 16+
Join us for a community self-defense workshop with IMPACT. Participants will learn assertive communication, verbal self-defense strategies, and physical self-protection skills to stay calm and focused in unsafe situations.
IMPACT self-defense workshops simulate scenarios of threat, intimidation, and violence perpetrated by strangers and people we know. Classes are taught by a team of two instructors, one of whom takes on the role of a perpetrator. They wear a full suit of body armor so students can safely defend themselves using the same force needed in a real attack. Physical self-defense is always a last resort – students also learn verbal skills to de-escalate conflict and avoid unnecessary violence. Many assailants use verbal threats to intimidate people, so IMPACT teaches students to stay calm and respond effectively to harassment.
4/19 1pm – 3pm – class is FULL. Click the link below to join the waitlist, or stay tuned for more upcoming workshops.
Location: Non-Profit Center, 89 South St., Boston, MA 02111
Women of Color Core Self-Defense
20-hour class, open to people of color who identify as women/girls & nonbinary folks who would feel comfortable in a women’s class, ages 16+
(Please contact us at info@impactboston.org if you’d like to register someone outside this age range)
Course Fee*: Sliding scale from $50 – $450
*Full scholarships also available
This 20-hour weekend course is specifically designed for women and teen girls of color and nonbinary folks of color who would be comfortable in a women’s class, ages 16+. Students develop physical and verbal skills to resist threats, intimidation, violence and acts of discrimination perpetrated by both strangers and familiar people. In a supportive, trauma-informed environment, students learn assertive boundary setting techniques and physical skills to defend and fight back against various threatening situations, including confrontations, verbal assault/harassment, attacks from behind, attempted sexual assaults, and ground fighting. This class also addresses harm reduction strategies in response to state violence.
5/30 6pm – 9pm
5/31 10am – 7pm
6/1 10am – 6pm
Must attend all sessions
Location TBD at this time. It will be in or near Boston