Chatham Awarded $40,000 State Grant to Fight Sexual Violence and Help Survivors

Chatham University was this week awarded $40,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to combat sexual violence and support survivors.

The grant, part of the It’s On Us PA campaign, will provide capacity and training to Chatham’s Office of Student Affairs for sexual violence prevention.

This money will allow Chatham to expand prevention programs, ramp up training programs for staff and faculty, and deepen community partnerships with organizations such as Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) and the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. 

“We are grateful to receive this grant and to continue our efforts to combat sexual violence on campus, and to enhance our efforts to make Chatham the safest possible living and learning environment for all of our community members,” says Chris Purcell, vice president of student affairs and dean of students.

The national It's On Us campaign was created by the Obama Administration to raise awareness about sexual assault, teach participants that assault includes non-consensual sex, advise them on how to identify dangerous situations, empower them to intervene, and urge them to create an environment of support for victims and survivors.

“Healthy relationships and violence prevention require safe communities where people of all backgrounds and communities know that resources and help are available when they have questions and when they are in crisis,” says Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe. “This is especially important on university and college campuses, where so many young people experience independence for the first time. The It’s On Us PA campaign challenges all of us to confront the problem of sexual violence directly through awareness, prevention and support services for survivors. These efforts make a real difference in the lives of young people.”