About CAE
The Center for Anti-Violence Education‘s unique programs empower individuals to prevent, respond to and heal from violence in their lives and communities. To date, close to 50,000 people of all incomes, ages, racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and physical abilities have been impacted by CAE’s programs and curricula.
At CAE we believe everyone has the right to live free from violence.
The Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE) develops and implements violence-prevention programs that teach practical strategies to prevent relationship abuse, hate/bias crimes, assault, and harassment. We focus on communities especially affected by violence. Our martial arts, self-defense and empowerment programs enable participants to prevent, heal from, and respond to violence.
CAE has a bedrock commitment to serving low-income families and offers our violence-prevention courses on a sliding fee scale. Courses for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are free of charge, and free childcare is available at all classes.
37 Years of Anti-Violence Work
From Brooklyn Women’s Martial Arts (BWMA) to The Center for Anti-Violence Education (CAE), from a volunteer organization with a visionary mission to a nationally-recognized leader in violence prevention, we celebrate 37 years of building our collective and individual strength to end violence and stand up for justice.
In 1974, Annie Ellman and Nadia Telsey co-founded Brooklyn Women’s Martial Arts, which would become The Center for Anti-Violence Education in 1989. Political activists and martial artists who trained in Goju Karate, they envisioned a karate school contributing to the new anti-violence movement by fostering skills, strength, and community and connecting martial arts training for women with anti-racism and anti-violence issues as part of the larger progressive movement. The first classes were held in living rooms and street fairs. From inception, we have charged sliding scale fees based upon income and offered free child-care.
Over the last 37 years, CAE has expanded our programming to include transformative programs for children, teens, LGBT communities, seniors, and more. We have become a recognized leader in violence prevention throughout the City and nationwide.
