HARRISBURG, PA — The Shapiro Administration recently announced that over $1.4 million in ‘It’s On Us PA’ grants have been awarded to 37 institutions of higher education and postsecondary schools.
This funding initiative is part of the ‘It’s On Us PA‘ campaign, a statewide movement working tirelessly to end sexual assault. Building on the energy of the national ‘It’s On Us’ movement, the initiative rallies education leaders, stakeholders, and community members to shift the narrative surrounding sexual violence and commit to being a part of the solution.
Each grant, amounting up to $60,000, is purposed to combat sexual violence and transform campuses into safer, more welcoming sanctuaries for their student bodies. The aim is to improve awareness, prevention, reporting, and response systems, remove or reduce barriers for survivors, and actively engage education leaders in ensuring safe, empowering institutional climates.
Colleges and universities awarded include Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania State University, West Chester University, and University of Philadelphia, among many others. These institutions are anticipated to utilize these funds to bolster their strategies to meet the objectives of the ‘It’s On Us PA’ campaign from January 2024 through May 2025.
The ‘It’s On Us’ campaign, initiated by the Obama administration, was created to raise awareness about sexual assault, identify risky situations, empower bystanders to intervene, and foster an environment of support for victims and survivors. Pennsylvania’s Act 55 of 2022 expanded on these efforts, obligating all higher education institutions and postsecondary licensed schools to establish a definition of consent as part of their conduct code or sexual misconduct policy.
Additionally, each institution is required to forge and maintain a partnership with at least one rape crisis center and one domestic violence program for student services and aid in the implementation of an educational program encompassing sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking education prevention and response.
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