Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Supporting Title IX Work Through Education and Community

April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the theme this year is “Together We Act, United We Change.” The description this year leads by stating “Education is the first step to action.” We at ICS could not agree more.

SAAM is an opportunity for Title IX Coordinators to educate their community about their offices, how to find support, and of course sexual assault. At a time when Title IX Coordinators are planning their budgets and possibly seeing budgets cut, this can feel daunting. I encourage you to read our blog written by our newest team member, Case Manager Kelsey Baker. She discusses practical and low-cost ways to start prevention and awareness efforts. These include leveraging local “star power”, hosting pop-ups, utilizing social media, and always starting with a strong and caring response to each report received by your institution or school.

As you showcase your work, budget season is also a time to begin planning your resource needs for the next academic year. Staffing needs, training opportunities, revising policies and procedures, and programming are just a few areas that should be included in this evaluation. Community is the core of the support needed for Title IX Coordinators, and we would be honored to be a part of your planning process. If you would like information on becoming a Community Partner, utilizing our external services, purchasing Title IX employee training, engaging us for tailored training, or taking advantage of our newest offer, Policy Blueprint, please contact us.

In conjunction with SAAM, ICS is hosting its first Prevention Series on Wednesdays this month, and I am thrilled to hear our Specialists present on topics such as programming, cultivating campus buy-in, establishing a relationship with law enforcement, mental health, removing barriers to reporting, and much more. I hope that you will join us for these important sessions! Soon, we will also be rolling out the ICS training calendar for the summer and fall – so stay tuned!

I would be remiss if I did not address the changing landscape under the new administration. Be sure to subscribe to Tuesday Takeaways where we break down timely topics and give actionable takeaways for you. Also, you can tune in to The Law & Education podcast for updates on Executive Orders, litigation, and sub-regulatory guidance that impacts Title IX and civil rights work.

The spring semester is moving quickly, and before we know it summer will be here! Here’s to finishing this semester strong!