State Reps. Jason Dawkins (D-Phila.), Joe Hohenstein (D-Phila.) and Perry Warren (D-Bucks) announced Friday that Holy Family University has been awarded a $28,952 grant to help combat campus sexual assault through the state’s It’s On Us campaign.
“When we send our children to college to get an education, neither we nor they should be in fear for their safety,” Dawkins said. “But the reality is that about 11 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault. That is unacceptable, and we all have a responsibility to our children to change that statistic. This It’s On Us grant funding will help us to make a difference.”
The grant awarded to Holy Family University, which is located in Philadelphia with a satellite campus in Newtown, was one-of-36 It’s On Us grants totaling more than $996,000 awarded across the state.
“This grant – and the other grants announced around the state – will better prepare university students, faculty and staff on how to report sexual violence and what programs exist to help victims,” Warren said. “Sexual violence is a life-changing event, so it’s of the utmost importance for our colleges and universities to help students, faculty and staff understand how to deal with these crimes and protect our students.”
The Philadelphia campus of the university is split between Dawkins’ and Hohenstein’s legislative districts.
“During what is supposed to be a time of learning and self-exploration, many students’ experiences at university are marred by their ordeal of sexual assault. It’s something no student should experience,” Hohenstein said. “This grant will help colleges, universities and their faculty to better address instances of sexual violence on campus because no students should feel unsafe in their campus communities.”
It’s On Us PA, the nation’s first statewide campaign, began four years ago as a way to bring everyone who plays a role in ensuring safety on college campuses into the conversation. The It’s On Us effort shows that everyone has a responsibility to recognize that nonconsensual sex is sexual assault, identify situations where consent has not been or cannot be given, to intervene in situations where consent hasn’t been given and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported.
To learn more about It’s On Us PA, visit education.pa.gov/Postsecondary-Adult/Pages/Governor-Wolf’s-It’s-On-Us-PA-Grant-Program.aspx
