PreventConnect

This episode is a recording of a live podcast from the National Sexual Assault Conference in August, 2023, where VALOR's three Podcast hosts discussed the state of storytelling in the movement to end sexual violence.

Join PreventConnect, LEAP and Valor Conversations for a dialogue about the culture of storytelling, what stories are often overlooked in the anti-violence movement and what role we can all play in shifting the narrative.

Each week leading up to the National Sexual Assault Conference, we’re sitting down with a different NSAC presenter, highlighting their specialties, what their bringing to the movement to end sexual violence and how they got to where they are.

Our third prevention story is diving into one of the most powerful drivers of our work, especially when it comes to policies, funding and resources: data.

Wendi Siebold, Ana Herrera and Tiana Teter are using their platform at Strategic Prevention Solutions to equity in data and create pathways for data to more equitably reflect communities most impacted by sexual violence.

They’re sharing about gaps in how we collect, store and report on data impacts our work and how we as advocates and preventionists can take up space in the storytelling of the anti-violence movement.

Resources mentioned in this Podcast:
Strategic Prevention Solutions
Program Planning Workbook
National Sexual Assault Conference

Each week leading up to the National Sexual Assault Conference, we’re sitting down with a different NSAC presenter, highlighting their specialties, what their bringing to the movement to end sexual violence and how they got to where they are.

Our third prevention story takes us to the epicenter of where politics are hitting prevention the hardest, the classroom. Organized groups have started weaponizing terms from the anti-sexual violence movement to spread misinformation about the work we do and push us out of the classrooms.

We're sitting down with Sarah Ferrato, Manager of Sexual Violence Prevention & Public Health Initiatives at the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, to talk about what they and their colleagues are doing to give preventionists the tools to push back.

Each week leading up to the National Sexual Assault Conference, we’re sitting down with a different NSAC presenter, highlighting their specialties, what their bringing to the movement to end sexual violence and how they got to where they are.

Our second prevention story takes us to Los Angeles, California, to the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, where preventionists and advocates are coming together to address the culture of shame and silence in Asian Pacific Islander communities. We’re sitting down with Anna Lee and Natchawi (Nat) Wadman, who are presenting at NSAC with their colleague Kwan Wimwipha Chaiu, to unpack what culturally-responsive prevention actually means, how to better practice culturally responsive care, and what changes within ourselves and our communities when we do.

Each week leading up to the National Sexual Assault Conference, we're sitting down with a different NSAC presenter, highlighting their speciality, what their bringing to the movement to end sexual violence and how they got to where they are.

Our first prevention story takes us to Lawrence Kansas, where Prevention Specialist Gabby Boyle found themselves right in the middle of housing security and sexual violence prevention. How they found a seat at the table in the city's housing priorities, and what they're doing to lift up grassroots organizers, in this episode of PreventConnect.

What role do we, as a movement to end sexual violence, have to play when our language is co-opted to spread misinformation and harm marginalized communities?

Today, terms like grooming are being weaponized to spread fear of queer and trans people. While the moment can feel overwhelmingly new, the anti-violence movement has a long history of being weaponized to advance violent agendas that dehumanize and harm black, queer and people of color.

For this month’s episode of Prevent-Connect, we’re sitting down with Prevention and Training Manager for the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Kelsey Alexander, to talk about the weaponization of language, how it is impacting primary prevention, and how they are fighting back.

We’re sitting with some uncomfortable truths and talking about what we can learn from our past, as we look forward.

Resources mentioned in this Podcast
Fighting Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric Statement
National Consensus Statement of Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender Community
CDC Stop SV Technical Package

You ever have one of those conversations where you just feel magic pouring out of people’s passion to end gender-based violence?

PreventConnect sat down with staff from OneLoves Youth Mobilization Team, to learn how they're flipping youth bobilization on its head and letting youth take center stage in ending dating violence in their schools.

This is the fourth installment in PreventConnect's Youth Engagement Mini-Series, equipping Prevention Practitioners and Youth Engagement staff with the tools to work with youth in transformative and empowering ways.

Listen to episode 1 here.
Listen to episode 2 here.
Listen to episode 3 here.

Resources mentioned in this Podcast:
OneLove Foundation website
OneLove Student Leadership Program
OneLove instagram

Cultivating a space where youth can thrive isn’t always something you can condense into a list of tips or strategies. Sometimes the most powerful anti-violence work has to be felt before it’s seen; that’s something the GameChangers, a local youth mobilization program out of Wisconsin, reminded me in our conversation for this episode.

PreventConnect sat down with staff and youth volunteers to hear about their program, and what makes their youth engagement impactful.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:
RCC Dane County
Learn more about Gamechangers
Donate to RCC
Find Gamechangers on Instagram

Previous Episodes of Youth Engagement Mini-Podcast Series:
Part 1: An Interview with Youth Activists
Part 2: A Coalition's Honest Journey to Youth Engagement

This April, The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, @NSVRC , is calling on individuals, communities, organizations and institutions to build racial equity and respect through the 2023 National Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign: Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity.

The campaign offers resources, knowledge-building tools and connection opportunities to engage people at every level in the movement to end sexual violence, and build their capacity to be agents of change.

PreventConnect sat down with staff from NSVRC, Jayla Murdock and Mo Lewis, to talk about the campaign and what they're doing to center equity in prevention in our first-ever live Podcast.

Learn more about SAAM 2023: https://www.nsvrc.org/saam

Follow NSVRC on instagram to connect with their #30DaysOfSaam challenge @NSVRC.

Last month, PreventConnect brought you some of the youth voices leading the way in California’s fight to end gender and power-based violence. Now, PreventConnect is sitting down with the staff who created the space for those youth to speak.

Jessica Merrill and Melodie Kruspodin lead the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence’s statewide work to engage and center youth in violence prevention efforts.

They're bringing their combined expertise in prevention, culture change, communications and leadership, to talk about how the Partnership is making space at the table for youth leadership.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
CPEDV Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Youth in the Lead Outreach Toolkit