Cedar Crest College has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s It’s On Us PA program, a statewide campaign with the goal of reframing the conversation around sexual violence and being part of the solution. Cedar Crest College is one of 37 colleges and universities across the Commonwealth to be awarded the grant, totaling more than $1.4 million towards combating sexual assault and making college campuses safer.
“We are excited to be recognized as a recipient of the It’s On Us Grant this year,” says Amy Porter, Assistant Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator at Cedar Crest. “With these funds we plan to further train members of our Title IX team and introduce ‘Bringing in the Bystander’ training to our faculty, staff, and students. We also plan to offer a greater depth and variety of programming on campus to further raise awareness, educate on preventative measures, and highlight support services related to harassment and sexual assault.”
The grant campaign provides funding to address goals of the It’s On Us PA campaign, including: improving awareness, prevention, reporting, and response systems regarding sexual violence in schools, colleges, and universities to better serve all students; removing or reducing barriers that prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting incidents or accessing vital resources by creating a more consistent, empowering reporting process for student survivors of gender-based violence; demonstrating significant, proactive, and sustainable leadership to change campus culture by challenging Pennsylvania’s education leaders – including college and university presidents – as well as students, teachers, faculty, staff, families, and communities to pledge to improve their institutions’ climates.
“The It’s On Us PA campaign cultivates change and provides colleges, universities, and postsecondary career and trade schools with the support and resources necessary to protect learning environments and ensure they are free from sexual assault, harassment, and violence,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin in a press release. “All Pennsylvanians deserve a safe learning environment. By participating in the It’s On Us PA grant program, higher education institutions are making their campus communities safer and more welcoming for the students who call them home.”
To learn more about this grant, please visit education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/ItsOnUs