Shippensburg University was awarded a $25,000 It’s On Us PA grant by Governor Tom Wolf on December 9. Wolf launched the It’s On Us PA initiative in 2016 looking for leaders in education to join his administration as part of the solution to protect students from sexual violence. Since 2016, the Wolf Administration has awarded 184 It’s On Us PA grants totaling nearly $6 million to post-secondary institutions, including public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities. This is Ship’s fourth It’s On Us grant.
“Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities must be a safe space for students to learn and grow without fear of violence, harassment, or abuse,” said Wolf. “Each one of us has a responsibility to promote healthy relationships, and the It’s On Us PA grant program was created to provide pathways to trainings and resources that improve campus culture and engagement.”
The university utilized previous It’s On Us grants to implement the Green Dot evidence-based bystander prevention program and to enhance its sexual assault online reporting system. With this round of funding the university will support prevention and education work including, the hiring of five peer-educators, training from the YWCA of Carlisle and high-impact speakers.
“The It’s On Us Grant will enable us to further spread the message that sexual violence is not tolerated here at Ship, and that each one of us can make a difference in supporting our students. We are grateful and excited for the opportunity to educate and support our campus community,” said Arielle Catron, director of the Women’s Center.
