It’s never too early—or too late—to talk to the young people in your life about relationships. This presentation will offer insights about adult and teen perceptions of teen dating violence and the messages and barriers that uniquely impact youth relationships. Participants will learn strategies to foster dialogue and engage young people in thinking critically about healthy and unhealthy relationships.

Colleges and universities are required by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to attest that all student-athletes, coaches, and athletic administration staff receive annual sexual violence prevention training. In a session specific to coaches and athletic staff, participants will have the opportunity to explore the unique risk and protective factors of their school and teams’ cultures, and gain a better understanding of gender-based violence. Participants will receive specific strategies, including facilitation prompts and guidelines, to engage their students in ongoing dialogue about sexual violence prevention. The student-athlete training will support participants to deepen their understanding of sexual violence and its impact, build skills to support a friend who has experienced sexual violence, and learn strategies to hold one another accountable.

Every day, educators bear witness to the impacts of trauma in their classroom. Young people share their stories with us through behaviors (acting out, withdrawing, overachieving), attitudes (angry, distracted, anxious), and their own words. We care deeply about our students and creating a safe and supportive learning environment. As educators, we also have our own stories and our own pain- both past and present. The goal of this workshop is to create a space to acknowledge the cumulative toll bearing witness to trauma can have on us and develop strategies to care for ourselves and support one another in doing this important and impactful work.