The College Receives Governor's It's On Us Grant to Combat Campus Sexual Assault
(Delaware and Chester Counties, PA • January 15, 2019)—Delaware County Community College is proud to be one of 38 colleges, and the only community college, to receive a 2018-19 grant from It’s On Us PA. The College was awarded $26,732.43 through the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help combat campus sexual assault.
“The It’s On US Grant will not only help raise awareness about sexual assault among our students but will help us provide programming that teaches students how to intervene when they witness sexual misconduct occurring,” says Christine Doyle, project director and an assistant professor and counselor.
Launched in 2014, It’s On Us was created by President Barack Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls as a way to raise awareness about and fight against sexual assault on college campuses. Governor Tom Wolf established It’s On Us PA in 2016, creating the first statewide campaign.
The College has participated in It’s On Us PA since its inception, and also received a grant last year to raise awareness of sexual violence on campuses. This year’s grant will support a project titled Bringing in the Bystander: Continuing Our Stand Against Sexual Violence. The focus is to incorporate awareness of and training for bystanders. This includes helping people understand how to identify a continuum of sexual violence and how to build skills to safely intervene before, during and after instances of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking.
As part of this focus, a variety of activities are planned for the coming year. In April, as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Michael Domitrz will present “Can I Kiss You?”, which explores consent and bystander intervention in an engaging, impactful way. During Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, speakers will be brought in to educate and represent various diverse populations, including LGBTQ+ and disabled students. Throughout the year, self-defense training classes for students and staff will be offered, and faculty will be recruited to incorporate a “Bringing in the Bystander” curriculum into their classrooms.
“By focusing on bystander intervention, we hope to empower students and staff to take an active role in contributing to a safe community, while helping to create a cultural shift in which sexual violence is no longer acceptable or tolerated,” says Doyle.
To learn more about It’s On Us, visit www.itsonus.org.
