Conestoga's Student Engagement team and Sexual & Gender-based Violence Prevention & Response Office have collaborated with the community on a campaign to help increase consent culture.
The #Purple4Prevention initiative will support the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence and challenge the college community to reflect on actions to help end sexual violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+ and gender diverse individuals. The campaign features the sale of purple t-shirts in collaboration with the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, with a portion of each sale supporting the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC).
"We're hoping to build awareness and engage the community on the issue and actions against it," said Christine Glogovic, Conestoga's sexual and gender-based violence prevention and response coordinator. "Prevention is about making sure individuals get the information they want and need at the time they are looking for it, and it needs to happen at all three levels: in the community, at the college and individually."
#Purple4Prevention t-shirts can be purchased through Kitchener Screen Printing until November 17 and will be available for pick up at the college's Kitchener-Doon, Cambridge, Waterloo, Guelph and Brantford campuses on November 25. The college community is encouraged to wear their t-shirts during the 16 Days of Activism, which runs from November 25 to December 10, and join the conversation online by sharing images on social media that feature the t-shirt and messages that build awareness and solidarity. In addition to the t-shirts, Student Engagement will also lead activities and share resources on campus and social media throughout the 16 days.
The campaign builds on Conestoga's ongoing prevention program that provides consent culture education and resources to the college community. Workshops, events and courses are aimed at ending gender-based violence and creating safer homes, schools, workplaces and communities. A series of consent culture workshops led by Student Engagement, the Sexual & Gender-based Violence Prevention & Support Office, and SASC is available each term for co-curricular credit. Sessions discuss topics of consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, responding to disclosures of sexual violence, and where to find resources for support.
Conestoga's Sexual and Gender-based Violence Prevention & Response Office provides centralized support to the college community through preventative programming and trauma-informed response.
The Student Engagement team meets the needs of students through innovative programming designed to achieve goals with learning outcomes-based initiatives, including the Co-Curricular Record; Orientation; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion education and programming; the Connect Leadership Workshop Series; and various student volunteer and committee opportunities.