More than $1.7 million will go to 43 Pennsylvania colleges and universities to help combat sexual assault through education and awareness, and empower survivors through the third round of It’s On Us PA funding.
“Healthy relationships and violence prevention require safe communities where people of all backgrounds and communities know that resources and help are available when they have questions and when they are in crisis. This is especially important on university and college campuses, where so many young people experience independence for the first time,” Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Dr. Carrie Rowe said. “The It’s On Us PA campaign challenges all of us to confront the problem of sexual violence directly through awareness, prevention and support services for survivors. These efforts make a real difference in the lives of young people.”
The national It’s On Us campaign was created by the Obama Administration to raise awareness about sexual assault, teach participants that assault includes non-consensual sex, advise them on how to identify dangerous situations, empower them to intervene, and urge them to create an environment of support for victims and survivors.
It’s On Us PA brings together college and university presidents, superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, families, and community members to reframe the conversation around sexual violence and pledge to be part of the solution. The It’s On Us PA campaign is based on a core belief that sexual violence shouldn’t be part of any student’s education and invites education leaders – and all Pennsylvanians – to protect students from sexual violence.
With this funding, La Salle University in Philadelphia will use part of its $40,000 grant to ensure survivors of sexual assault receive immediate, free, and helpful resources through the creation of a Survivor’s Closet initiative. On-call staff trained in trauma-informed practices will be able to help survivors from the moment they seek help, while connecting them to off-campus resources. La Salle University will also implement a campus-wide awareness strategy so that all students know help is available if ever needed.
With its $40,000 grant, Moravian University in Northampton County will work to educate students about consent and boost campus awareness of reporting options and resources. Moravian plans to partner with student organizations to ensure information, particularly awareness of affirmative consent, reaches high-risk groups.
The University of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County will use its $43,725 grant to expand its “Help is Available” awareness campaign to more physical spaces throughout campus. The university also plans to host self-defense classes open to all campus communities and continue its weekly drop-in hours with a victim advocate from Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
