UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Relationship Violence Outreach, Intervention, and Community Education (R-VOICE) Center has received a $60,000 grant through Pennsylvania’s "It’s On Us" initiative to strengthen peer education and sexual violence prevention efforts across the University.
The "It’s On Us PA" campaign is a statewide initiative that encourages higher education leaders, students and communities to take an active role in preventing sexual violence and supporting survivors.
Through the grant, Penn State will expand and enhance the R-VOICE Center’s peer education model at University Park while extending prevention programming to five Commonwealth Campuses: Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks and Harrisburg. The effort aims to increase access to education, training and support resources related to sexual violence prevention.
Funding will support several initiatives designed to strengthen a culture of prevention, accountability and respect across the Penn State community. Planned efforts include expanding peer-led prevention programs, enhancing peer educator training through nationally recognized best practices, and increasing opportunities for student leadership in violence prevention initiatives.
Additional initiatives include developing and enhancing prevention curricula and awareness campaigns focused on reporting processes and survivor resources, promoting active bystander intervention, and improving access to culturally responsive prevention education and support services. The grant will also support efforts to increase awareness of survivor rights, support services and educational opportunities available both on and off campus.
“This funding is critical to advancing our peer education efforts at University Park through enhanced infrastructure and nationally recognized training,” said Yvette Willson, director of the R-VOICE Center. “It will also allow us to expand the Peer Educator Network to Commonwealth Campuses for the first time, helping us build a safer and more respectful Penn State community.”
Willson said the grant will help strengthen collaboration across campuses while reinforcing the shared responsibility of preventing sexual violence.
“This work belongs to all of us,” she said. “Each member of the Penn State community has a role to play in preventing harm, supporting survivors, and creating an environment built on respect and accountability. This funding allows us to come together in a more impactful way to reshape the conversation around sexual violence and commit to being part of the solution.”
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