UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State encourages the entire University community to help prevent sexual violence and support survivors. As part of this effort, It’s On Us Penn State and Penn State’s Gender Equity Center are hosting the second annual It’s On Us Week of Action beginning Feb. 20 to highlight the issue of sexual violence and give students resources and strategies to keep our community safe.

"The It’s On Us campaign is about creating a safe and supportive environment for individuals who may feel voiceless or marginalized and ensuring that they receive the support and resources they need to heal and recover,” said Sabrina Delgado, president of It’s On Us Penn State. “Driven by my own personal experiences and the inspiring stories of others who have been supported by this organization, I truly believe that it is on us to be the change we need to prevent and end sexual violence on campus."

Throughout the week students can attend interactive workshops. To learn more about the Week of Action and how to get further involved, stop by It’s On Us Penn State’s table in the HUB-Robeson Center during the week of Feb. 13. Tabling will occur at the following times:

• Feb. 14, 2 to 4 p.m.
• Feb. 15, 11:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

These peer-led workshops focus on three topics: Sexual Citizenship; Beyond the Binary; and Gender, Race and Power. Participants will demonstrate their commitment to making Penn State a safer, more inclusive campus and receive a free "It’s On Us Penn State" T-shirt. Attendees will pick up their shirts in the Gender Equity Center, located in Boucke 222U, after the workshop.

Registration is required to attend the workshops. For the full list of workshops and the registration link, visit the It’s On Us website.

• Sexual Citizenship: Get ready to discuss everything you ever wanted to know but never thought to ask about relationships, hookups, boundaries, sex and consent. We will ask you to consider your boundaries and what you expect from yourselves and your partners. Participants will learn how to have these conversations with their partner.
• Beyond the Binary: Engage in conversations around gender stereotypes, gender identity and the gender spectrum through the social justice lens of gender. In this workshop, you will discuss how gender roles enable oppression and confer power and privilege. In addition to considering your own privileges and identities, you will learn about bystander intervention tools to address and prevent gender-based harassment and violence.
• Gender, Race, and Power: Let's connect the dots around oppression based upon race, gender and other identities by exploring the five faces of oppression. We will discuss sexual violence as a form of oppression, highlighting conversations around consent and victim-blaming — particularly as it relates to marginalized communities. We will also discuss the University's reporting processes with a focus on restorative justice initiatives.

For those who are not able to attend a workshop during the week, the Gender Equity Center offers workshops upon request for classes, organizations or other groups.

“Everyone knows someone who has been impacted by sexual violence,” said Leah Pope, graduate assistant for the Gender Equity Center and primary adviser for It’s On Us. “The Week of Action is your chance to support survivors by taking a stand against sexual violence in your community. Participating in one of our educational workshops will teach you what you need to know about making a meaningful change on campus to make our community a safer place for everyone.”

The Gender Equity Center is a unit of Penn State Student Affairs. The office supports students who have been impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, staking, harassment and other campus climate issues. In addition, the office works to educate the campus community about Gender Equity Issues and to provide workshops and resources for the prevention of sexual violence.

For more information on peer education ways to become involved in prevention efforts, visit the Gender Equity website.

Follow the Gender Equity Center on Facebook and Instagram using @PennStateGenEq to stay up to date. Join the Gender Equity Center listserv by e-mailing rxg5421@psu.edu.