PreventConnect

Dear Prevention Communtiy,We Love you. And we are so honored to do this work with you. Sincerely,The PreventConnect team. 

How do we hold onto our values while navigating a constantly shifting landscape in our prevention work?In this episode of PreventConnect, Janae and special guest hosts Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez and David Lee discuss the evolving landscape of violence prevention, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, creativity, and strategic messaging. They reflect on their experiences and initiatives leading up to the National Sexual Assault Conference, the role of economic supports in fostering thriving communities, and the significance of love and shared values in their work.The conversation highlights the need for adaptability and innovation in prevention strategies while maintaining a focus on long-term goals and community well-being.Resources mentioned in this episode: National Sexual Assault Conference 2025Economic Support Strategies for Safe and Equitable CommunitiesMeasuring Love in the Journey to End Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence

When we experience collective hard times, where do we turn for hope and healing? In this episode of PreventConnect, Janaé sits down with Brooklyn Arizmendi, a Program Services Coordinator at Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, to explore the resilience and strength of marginalized communities, particularly queer individuals, in the face of adversity. Brooklyn, a queer, indigenous Chicana woman, shares about her journey into violence prevention and the intersections of queerness and community resilience. Brooklyn and Janae discuss the importance of authenticity, the need for systemic change, and the role of queer people in leading a more inclusive and connected support environment for all people.While this conversation doesn't shy away from the adversity queer people face, the focus is on the connection, joy, and strength that comes from being queer and embodying the bravery to be different - in whatever shape that may take. Resources mentioned in this podcast: Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Institutionalizing LGBTQIA+ Justice in Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention: Centering Trans Inclusion as a value and practice Institutionalizing LGBTQ+ Justice in Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention: Culturally specific approaches in rural queer communities Institutionalizing LGBTQIA+ Justice in Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention: Creating Opportunities through a Statewide Action Plan Queer History from the Trevor Project

Today sexual and intimate partner violence prevention programs are so distinguished from advocacy and intervention, prevention is its own field and movement.As prevention continues to grow and occupy its own space, a growing number of preventionists and advocates have started to ask at what point does our separation go from helping us, to potentially holding us back?" Different as we may be. we often have more in common than we realize. And it is in those commonalities that we find our through lines and our strengthFor this episode of PreventConnect, we hear from two long-time friends in the anti-violence movement. Ashleigh Klein Jimenez. who you know as the other face of PreventConnect and Giovanna Martinez, Associate Director of Domestic Violence Programs at the YWCA San Gabriel Valley. Ashleigh and Gio could not be doing more different work, but their decades-long friendship and camaraderie goes back to their first jobs in the movement,  doing local community engagement and advocacy work in southern California.We're exploring the role healing plays in primary prevention and the connections that often get lost in our movement, all through the lens of a long-lasting friendship. Resources mentioned in this episode:Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2024: Heal, Hold and CenterDVAM 2024 Instagram Live: Honoring Advocates in our LivesDVAM 2024 Linkedin Live: Creating Safe Spaces for Older Adult SurvivorsHealing: A Key Piece to Preventing Domestic Violence for Future GenerationsYWCA San Gabriel ValleyHousing and Prevention Podcast

This is an episode from Both/And: A Sexual Violence Prevention Podcast, a project of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. Have you ever felt like you didn't belong in the movement space because you didn't have all the "right" language? If so, you are very much not alone! In this episode, Janae Sargent and I moved through the idea that some of the language that can be so helpful in grant applications and public health spaces can also limit our ability to reach the communities we know should be centered, and become a barrier to talented and passionate people getting in and staying in prevention.  Listen to Both/And on Buzzsprout.Resources mentioned in this episode:New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault ProgramsThe Revolution Will Not Be FundedMeasuring Love as Violence PreventionValor.USEpisode Credits: Intro music: "Can't Get Enough Sunlight" written and recorded by Michelle Chamuel http://michellechamuel.com/Logo: Alex Ross-ReedProduced by: Jess ClarkEdited By: Dacia Clay at Pillow Fort Studioshttps://www.pillowfortpodcasts.com

Welcome to DELTA Reflections: Shaping the Future of IPV Prevention, a PreventConnect mini-series podcast that delves into the transformative journey of the DELTA project, a groundbreaking initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). Over the course of the episodes, we will explore the rich history, innovative approaches, and profound impact of DELTA through the voices of those who have been instrumental in its success.In our fourth and final episode, we are sitting down with Rebecca Cline, Former Prevention Director at Ohio Domestic Violence Network, to talk about the legacy the DELTA Program has had on Prevention in the Midwest. Rebecca founded ODVN's Prevention program and has been part of DELTA innovations from the start. Join us as she shares her journey of learning as a preventonist, and a person. Resources mentioned in this episode:Ohio Domestic Violence NetworkEngaging Men and Boys ProgramListen to Previous DELTA Reflections Installments:Part 1: An Interview with Casey Keene from the National Domestic Violence Resource CenterPart 2: An Interview with Arlene Vassell about anti-racism in the DELTA ProjectPart 3: An Interview with the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence about DELTA values

Welcome to “DELTA Reflections: Shaping the Future of IPV Prevention,” a PreventConnect mini-series podcast that delves into the transformative journey of the DELTA project, a groundbreaking initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). Over the course of the episodes, we will explore the rich history, innovative approaches, and profound impact of DELTA through the voices of those who have been instrumental in its success.  In this episode, we are sitting down with two DELTA recipients from the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV) - Lucy Rios, the Executive Director, and Cynthia Roberts, the Evaluator for RICADV.  As longtime recipients, Lucy and Cynthia have played pivotal roles in implementing and evaluating primary prevention strategies. This conversation explores how their personal and professional lives have grown along with DELTA, and how they infuse values learned from the DELTA project into their organization. Resources mentioned in this episode: Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic ViolenceRICADV Data DashboardVoices of Change Program  10 Men ProgramListen to DELTA Reflections Part 1Listen to DELTA Reflections Part 2

Welcome to “DELTA Reflections: Shaping the Future of IPV Prevention,” a PreventConnect mini-series podcast that delves into the transformative journey of the DELTA project, a groundbreaking initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). Over the course of the episodes, we will explore the rich history, innovative approaches, and profound impact of DELTA through the voices of those who have been instrumental in its success.For this episode we are exploring the perspectives of national experts who have supported DELTA grantees, focusing on capacity building and innovative prevention strategies. We are honored to have Arlene Vassell with us, the Founding Director of TooREL Institute for Social Change. Arlene was previously the Vice President of Programs, Prevention & Social Change at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, where she served as a national technical assistance provider for the DELTA project.Resources mentioned in this episode:DELTA Reflections: Shaping the Future of IPV Prevention Part 1TooRel Institute for Social ChangeVirginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance License Plate ProjectDomestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) DO YOU CampaignDELTA FOCUS Stories  

Welcome to "DELTA Reflections: Shaping the Future of IPV Prevention," a PreventConnect mini-series podcast that delves into the transformative journey of the DELTA project, a pioneering initiative by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at preventing intimate partner violence (IPV). Over the course of the episodes, we will explore the rich history, innovative approaches, and profound impact of DELTA through the voices of those who have been instrumental in its success.In this episode, we are delving into the experiences of those who have provided technical assistance to DELTA recipients over the years. We're honored to have Casey Keene with us, the Director of Programs and Prevention at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. Casey has been with the DELTA project since its inception. Click here to download transcript. Resources mentioned in this episode:National Resource Center on Domestic ViolenceVAWnetIPV Prevention CouncilPay Equity and a Thriving Wage: All individuals deserve to be valued for their labor

At the core of it all, under all of our evidence, terminology and funding structures: love is the key to ending sexual and intimate partner violence.  In a movement made almost entirely of survivors, we know healthy love will heal our communities and create a world free of violence. The question that remains is "How do we bring love into our-day-to-day, when so much about how our culture and work structures operate challenge the idea of radical love in and of itself?"Audrey Jordan and Shiree Teng recently came together to speak to our movement about radical love, love of self, of others and of community in a recent PreventConnect Web Conference: Measuring Love. The conversation revealed just how challenging it can be for preventionists to see love in their program structures and outcomes.For this episode of PreventConnect, I got to chat with two people I really admire in this field: Rosá Beltre, who leads the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Ashleigh-Klein-Jimenez, Director of Prevention at VALOR in California.  Rosá and Ashleigh are both women who cultivate love, while remaining fierce leaders in their work to end violence.  We're talking about where love comes into our work, why it's challenging for us to talk about, and what it looks like in prevention work.Resources mentioned in this Podcast:Measuring Love in the Journey to End Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Part 1Measuring Love in the Journey to End Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Part 2Measuring Love in the Journey to End Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Part 3 (Publishes Thursday, May 30.) Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence Valor.Us Homeboy IndustriesHealth Equity in Practice Part 2: Why anti-racism is an integral part of sexual violence prevention

https://youtu.be/HdSpJ0PCcRk People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experience sexual and domestic violence at drastically higher rates , but despite how many survivors in our movement are in the disability community, they are rarely involved in our work to end violence… or compensated for their contributions when they are. Despite immense barriers, self-advocates in the disability community are making huge steps to advocate for disability justice in prevention and advocacy spaces. You're listening to a special 2-part episode of PreventConnect, where we are pulling together some of the most impactful keynotes and interviews to come out of PreventConnect and VALOR around disability justice and inclusion, along with some new interviews about how staff are putting what we've learned into practice.For this installment, I interviewed my colleague and friend, Priscilla Klassen, who leads VALOR's Disability Rights and Inclusion Project, C.A. Leads. Priscilla was also at the forefront of accessibility efforts at the 2024 National Sexual Assault Conference.  Our conversation delves into systemic barriers to integrating Disability Justice into organizational frameworks, learning through practice and how she approaches Disability Rights and Justice work.To download a transcript of this episode, click here.. Resources mentioned in this podcast:Disability Justice Highlight Reel Part 1Sins Invalid

Believing in a world free of sexual and intimate partner violence means daring to imagine what communities would look like of everyone had equal access to health, safety and livelihood.  When we allow ourselves to imagine “what if,” we create the stepping stones to get us there. For Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center is calling on people to think about what their communities could be, and take steps to get there. In a special bonus podcast episode, taken from our Instagram live event earlier this month, we spoke with NSVRC staff Jayla Murdock and Mo Lewis to talk about their national campaign: Building Connected Communities, which leverages Health Equity Frameworks to impact whole communities in the work to end sexual violence.Because this is a recording from an Instagram LiveStream, there may be moments where audio cuts out or gets spotty. You can find the video stream with captions at our Instagram, and follow-along with the transcript to this episode.

This Podcast episode is the first in a two-part series, exploring Disability Justice as a fundamental value in the anti-sexual and intimate partner violence movement, in honor of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experience sexual and domestic violence at drastically higher rates but have historically not been included in shaping solutions. Despite immense barriers, self-advocates in the disability community are making huge steps to advocate for disability justice in prevention and advocacy spaces. For this special 2-part episode of PreventConnect, we pulled together some of the most impactful keynotes and interviews to come out of PreventConnect and VALOR around disability justice and inclusion, along with some new interviews about how staff are putting what we've learned into practice.  To download a transcript of this episode, click here.Featured Guests: Lydia X.Z. Brown (they/them) Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams (ney nee/she/her)Find resources mentioned in this podcast, and more information about guests at preventconnect.org

This conversation explores the importance of youth engagement and centering youth voices in the creating inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students, in the context of sexual violence prevention. In 2023, the Youth Advisory Board at Atria Collective organized in response to parents bringing an anti-trans speaker to a local high school. Supported by staff and adults at Atria Collective, Claire, Theo and their peers organized a queer joy rally that made national news and had a lasting impact on their school climate. This podcast explores the planning, execution, and impact of the youth-led event, and highlights the power of youth voices and the ability to overcome adult fear. To download a transcript of this episode, visit preventconnect.org.Resources mentioned in this podcast:Atria CollectiveIdentifying Solutions to School-Based Prevention Programming Resistance: Key themes and takeaways from PreventConnect's Town HallHundreds Gather in Vergennes to Protest Anti-Trans SpeakerOutright VermontChapters00:00 Introduction and Background05:16 Centering Youth Voices and Youth Engagement13:14 Joining the Youth Advisory Board17:30 Anti-Trans Speaker at Virgens High School21:17 The Power of Demonstrations29:09 Organizing the Rally42:14 The Rally44:46 Planning and Preparation45:31 Event Execution46:50 Atmosphere and Experience48:10 Youth Power vs Adult Fear49:52 Lasting Impact on the Community52:18 Lasting Impact

This episode explores the connection between green spaces and sexual violence prevention, specifically in rural areas. Our guests from Hope Shores Alliance and the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence discuss the importance of community gardens and their impact on food security, mental health, and community connection. Learning from indigenous wisdom and connection to nature, as well as the unique challenges and opportunities in rural greening, Hope Shores explains the early stages of their greening project: creating a survivor-led garden, and the hopes and dreams for the garden.To download a transcript of this episode or watch the video podcast, head to preventconnect.org.Guests Paige Allia, Hope Shores Alliance (she/they)Andrew Balk, Hope Shores Alliance (he/him)Sarah Carter, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (she/they/he).Resources mentioned in this podcast “Greening & Growing” Strategies to Create Protective Environments and Prevent Sexual & Domestic ViolenceChapters 00:00 Introduction and Welcome01:07 Introduction to Greening and Growing Web Conference03:00 Introducing the Guests and Their Backgrounds04:11 Understanding the Coalition and Local Partner Relationship05:10 Exploring the Connection Between Green Spaces and Safer Communities07:34 Paige's Experience with Green Spaces and Community Gardens09:38 The Importance of Greening in Rural Areas10:48 The Intersection of Green Spaces and Healing11:41 The Coalition's Interest in Green Spaces and Sexual Violence Prevention14:36 Recognizing the Importance of Indigenous Wisdom and Nature Connection16:28 The Need for Innovative Strategies in Sexual Violence Prevention19:26 The Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Rural Greening23:35 Understanding the Rural Area Served by Hope Shores Alliance27:11 Addressing Food Insecurity and Poverty in Rural Communities28:55 The Connection Between Greening and Food Sovereignty30:52 The Healing and Psychological Benefits of Green Spaces35:21 The Early Stages of the Greening Project37:47 Creating a Survivor-Led Garden41:47 The Hopes and Dreams for the Garden51:44 Spreading Love and Knowledge52:25 Closing Remarks and Ways to Connect

Preventionists and people committed to advancing social justice coming together to make each other stronger. That's what PreventConnect is all about. From intentional approaches to anti-racism and sexual violence, to taking on housing, to looking at violence through a public health lens – our movement is not backing down. We are gaining momentum to dismantle harmful norms that have shaped the anti-violence field for decades.For this episode of PreventConnect, I connected with Ashleigh-Klein Jimenez and Shelby Vice to look back on some of the biggest moments for Prevention in 2023.This is the second in a two-part series, taking a pause to look back on where we've been in order to commit to a path forward together. Resources mentioned in this podcast:2023 Prevention Reflections Pt. 1 Car Conversations GuideThe Grooming Myth: Fighting Anti-LGBTQ+ RhetoricNational Sexual Assault Conference Prevention Track Recordings AVAILABLE NOWHousing Justice as Sexual Violence Prevention Podcast EpisodeHousing Justice as Sexual Violence Prevention NSAC SessionIdentifying Solutions to School-Based Prevention Programming Resistance: Key themes and takeaways from PreventConnect's Town HallDecolonizing Gender ZineMeasuring Love Into Balance Brown Paper

Preventionists and people committed to advancing social justice coming together to make each other stronger. That's what Prevent-Connect is all about. From intentional approaches to anti-racism and sexual violence, to taking on housing, to looking at violence through a public health lens - our movement is not backing down.We are gaining momentum to dismantle harmful norms that have shaped the anti-violence field for decades, and we're not backing down.For this episode of Prevent-Connect, I connected with Ashleigh-Klein Jimenez and Shelby Vice to look back on some of the biggest moments for Prevention in 2023. This is the first in a two-part series, taking a pause to look back on where we've been in order to commit to a path forward, together. Resources mentioned in this podcast NEW WEB CONFERENCE: Back to Basics: What will it take to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence?Health Equity in Practice: Foundations for Sexual Violence Prevention Recordings Available NowIntegrating Health Equity Into Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention: Key Concepts and Components of Strategies and Approaches Recording Available NowHousing Justice as Violence Prevention: National Sexual Assault Conference PreviewVALOR Health Equity Web Conference Series Recordings Available NowEconomic Justice Peer Learning Circle Web Conference Series

In the fight for survivor justice, for racial justice, we are asked to:Heal from violence and oppression.Hold space for survivors.Center those with the highest burden of violence.We are asked to embrace how other cultures have fostered beloved communities, to reject the systems and beliefs that do not serve us and to pause to consider what's working… and what isn't. As we close the 2023 Domestic Violence Awareness Month and look forward to this upcoming year, PreventConnect sat down with Jacqueline Miller, from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, to talk about the importance of pausing, especially after months like DVAM, and centering in ourselves and our mission to advance racial equity and foster communities free from violence. This conversation is a bonus track from an instagram live conversation we had earlier this month. Discussion Questions to take this conversation further in your organizations and communities: In what ways does your organization or community put into action that there can't be survivor justice without racial justice? How does the staff at your organization or people in your community embody racial justice and racial equity work?What are some of the barriers that your organization or community has encountered when trying to do racial equity work?Resources mentioned in this podcast:Heal, Hold and Center PreventConnect BlogHeal, Hold and Center National Campaign PageNational Resource Center on Domestic ViolenceDomestic Violence Awareness Project2022 PreventConnect Podcast: No Survivor Justice Without Racial Justice

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 SolutionsProgram Planning WorkbookNational 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 PodcastFighting Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric StatementNational Consensus Statement of Anti-Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Organizations in Support of Full and Equal Access for the Transgender CommunityCDC 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 websiteOneLove Student Leadership ProgramOneLove 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 CountyLearn more about GamechangersDonate to RCCFind Gamechangers on InstagramPrevious Episodes of Youth Engagement Mini-Podcast Series:Part 1: An Interview with Youth ActivistsPart 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/saamFollow 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 MonthYouth in the Lead Outreach Toolkit

What responsibility is ours to own when our youth tell us that the very violence we are working to prevent has and continues to root itself in the hallways they grow up in?Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control released its latest iteration of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. The statistics have swept nearly every major headline, telling the same story: Youth in the U.S. need our action. They're battling hopelessness and despair. They're experiencing more sexual violence, and for girls, LGBTQ students, many students of color and students whose families are struggling economically, it's even harder.For the next four months, we are diving deep into youth engagement: exploring how organizations across our movement are centering youth voices and how that work is transforming their agencies and communities.For our first installment, we're sitting down with three California Youth Activists, who gathered with peers at the state capitol, call on their legislators and influential adults to do more in schools. They're sharing why this movement means so much to them, what it's been like to work with the Partnership and what advice they have for organizations who want to bring youth into their work. Resources mentioned in this Podcast:California Partnership to End Domestic Violence Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention MonthYouth in the Lead Outreach ToolkitYouth Risk Behavior SurveyTeen Dating Violence 2023: Resources for the Field

Welcome to PreventConnect: the podcast bringing together voices from across the movement to end gender and power-based violence to give you the tools to practice primary prevention in your daily life and at work.This season we're breaking the sihlos, bringing together researchers, scientists and on-the-ground practitioners and organizers, to talk about how we can work together to prevent sexual violence. We're going deeper than we ever have: highlighting emerging research, promising strategies, and stories from preventionists and organizers turning data into effective on-the-ground change.We have a lot to learn from each other. And it starts here.

Where does data and practice meet in our work to end sexual violence?PreventConnect sat down with David Finkelhor, author of “What works to prevent violence against children online” - a new report from the World Health Organization, to learn about his decades-long research into violence against children. Together, we're breaking down his findings and connecting our own paths in the field, where they differ and where they come together to make the case for prevention in schools.Resources Mentioned in this Podcast:What works to prevent violence against children online? Roadmap to Prevention: Connecting Critical Race Theory and Anti-OppressionPreventConnect InstagramPreventConnect Linkedin

What does it look like to create space for disability justice in a movement and a culture that is so deeply impacted and dictated by the pursuit of perfection?When our systems and structures are not in line with our values, we are asked to take on the work of dismantling our systems and starting again. But when we have to find space for that work in the endless work that never stops at our organizations, where do we start?For this episode of PreventConnect, we're exploring barriers to disability justice, resources for Practitioners who want to center disability justice at their organizations and what disability justice advocates want to see from the field.We explore tangible examples of ways organizations are coming up with creative solutions to centering disability justice across the country, as well as a brand new resource from the Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Resource Hub to help organizations get started.Resources mentioned in this podcast:Disability Justice and Violence Prevention Resource HubOrganizational Assessment Toolindisabilityjustice@gmail.comcwilliams@icadvinc.org

What do we do when the principles of health equity call on us to deconstruct the fabric of how our organizations run and pave a different way forward? It's a question Cierra Olivia Thomas-Willaims has watched the field grapple with since she joined the movement more than 20 years ago.It's one of the reasons she co-founded Indiana Disability Justice: a grassroots organization of neurodivergent and disabled self-advocates and allies moving toward a world free of harm for people with disabilities by telling the stories of disabled survivors and helping advocates and organizations transform their spaces and policies to center marginalized communities. For this episode of PreventConnect, we're exploring Disability Justice as a vehicle for change. One that, when met with readiness, has the potential to transform our movement for *all survivors.

The connection between sexual violence and sports is not a novel conversation in American culture. We have seen powerful players, coaches, and administrators get called out for their abusive behavior time and time again. But we also know that sports themselves are not bad. Sports have a deep intrinsic power to bring people together, to connect us to each other in ways that surpass our political beliefs, our upbringings and our daily lives, sports have a unique and uncanny power to unite us in something bigger than ourselves and root us in community.Sports are not a natural catalyst for violence. In many ways, they're the opposite. What would happen if we zoomed out from the headlines and thought about the larger system of sports in America as a solution rather than a problem.What if the power of sport could be harnessed to promote health and safety in our communities and model a better way of treating each other? It would be Game Changer. We are sitting down with three co-authors from The Prevention of Sexual Violence in Sport: A Real Game Changer, a new special issue from the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. We're getting a sneak peak at new expert perspective that identifies gaps in sexual violence prevention in sport and provides recommendations to improve prevention efforts. Resources mentioned in this podcast: PreventConnect.orgRaliance.orgLink to issue overview: https://www.raliance.org/raliance-experts-new-research-on-preventing-sexual-violence-in-sport/Link to full issue: https://journals.sagepub.com/toc/jiva/37/13-14

What can the leadership of black women and communities of color teach us about joy and resiliency? As we continue to bear witness to the pandemic of racial injustice, systemic oppression and political and personal attacks on our marginalized communities, joy and resiliency feel like precious resources existing between a juxtaposition of both deeply needed and difficult to find. This year, leaders in the movement to end gender-based violence, the National Resource Center for Domestic Violence, along with their partners at the Domestic Violence Awareness Project Advisory Group are centering again on their commitment to No Survivor Justice without Racial Justice for the 2022 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond.For this episode of PreventConnect, we sat down with two of the organizers for DVAM 20-22 and beyond: two fierce women of color who are leading the movement and their communities, and asked them why joy is so central to their work to end systemic oppression.We're also bringing in the voices of leaders of color across this movement. Highlighting key speakers, themes and excerpts from the 42nd annual Day of Unity, which kicked off DVAM in early October, when the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence invited survivors, advocates and leaders to share their own stories about collective liberation.They shared perspective on how communities of color have found joy through unrelenting resiliency, how they cultivate joy in their own lives and how organizations can get on board in uplifting joy and valuing their staff.Podcast Guests:Ivonne Ortiz, Director of Training and TA, NRCDV, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, she/ellaNnenna Minimah, Owner/Lead Consultant, Mission Avisee, LLC, she/herhttps://www.instagram.com/missionavisee/Call for Unity Speakers:Jacqueline MillerSecretary January ContrerasFaranza SafiullahVivien HuelgoShawnice StratfordResources:https://www.dvawareness.org/DVAM-2022https://vawnet.org/https://www.nrcdv.org/

Creativity to meet the moment is one of the most powerful qualities in people working to advance social change, one shared by most prevention practitioners, and it's invaluable to the movement to end sexual violence. As communities across the U.S. have begun pushing back on Critical Race Theory, Sexual Health and Prevention Education, two state coalitions are meeting the moment with a new publication: School-Based Prevention Roadmap, Connecting the Route of CRT and Anti-Oppression.PreventConnect sat down with the authors of the School-Based Prevention Roadmap, Sarah Ferrato of the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Monica Garcia Vega of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence to hear about the landscape they are navigating, how they're responding and their words to the field.

What does it mean to Embrace Intersectionality in the movement to end sexual and intimate partner violence, while eliminating all forms of oppression to create safe and equitable communities? How do we center equity in all of our practices, from on the ground work and conversations to strategic planning to data and evaluation and everything in between?It's a question organizers are centering in the 2022 National Sexual Assault Conference, centered around virtual community to advance health equity.We sat with prevention track organizers of the three day virtual even, to learn about what they have in store for attendee and got a sneak peak at some of the workshops they have in store. This is PreventConnect, the podcast where we bring together voices across the movement to end sexual violence, to give you the tools you need to effectively practice primary prevention in your daily life, and at work.This is part two in a two-part series previewing NSAC.For more information about NSAC and a link to register, head to: http://www.nationalsexualassaultconference.org/

What does it mean to Embrace Intersectionality in the movement to end sexual and intimate partner violence, while eliminating all forms of oppression to create safe and equitable communities? How do we center equity in all of our practices, from on the ground work and conversations to strategic planning to data and evaluation and everything in between?It's a question organizers are centering in the 2022 National Sexual Assault Conference, centered around virtual community to advance health equity.We sat with prevention track organizers of the three day virtual even, to learn about what they have in store for attendee and got a sneak peak at some of the workshops they have in store. This is PreventConnect, the podcast where we bring together voices across the movement to end sexual violence, to give you the tools you need to effectively practice primary prevention in your daily life, and at work.This is part one in a two-part series previewing NSAC.For more information and a link to register for NSAC, head to: http://www.nationalsexualassaultconference.org/

Human rights and public health issues are impacting our communities from every angle. They're impacting the way we work, the way we feel, the way we treat each other and the way we move through the world. As Audre Lorde said decades ago, “There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”As violence prevention practitioners, we need to be listening. We can't prevent sexual violence in a vacuum and expect anything to change. The CDC is clear that health equity is the way forward, that we must acknowledge and work to address differences in socially determined circumstances to improve whole person health. For those of us trying to do this work - equity is a big word. There is no formula for health equity, no standardized curricula, no checkboxes. But there are powerful resources and examples in the field that we can look to for inspiration and guidance. For this episode of PreventConnect, we combed through hours of web conferences and resource to find excerpts and examples of health equity in the field and hopefully tell a story on how to translate an academic term into real life practices and make a difference in the communities we serve. 

How do we show up for our communities in the midst of collective trauma? In a time when our country grieves more than 214 mass shootings so far this year… including a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that killed 21 people, including 19 children, our communities need us. But how do we show up when we ourselves are hurting? When we struggle to pull ourselves out of bed and do the work, hoping that it reaches someone, maybe just anyone. The conversation you are about to listen to is an excerpt from a conversation with The New Jersey Coalition to End Domestic Violence, the Department of Women and Families and community organizers in South Jersey, about their partnership to engage communities, and men of color, in meaningful and authentic ways to prevent violence. Parts of this conversation mention gun violence and could be triggering for some listeners. References to gun violence run from 32:49 – 36.27. There will be a content disclaimer before they begin.Links for more information related to this podcasts, and resources mentioned, can be found at preventconnect.org/2022/05/finding-the-why-community-engagement-authenticity-in-practice/

PreventConnect sat down with two youth leaders in California, Zoe Meyer and Kaile Fernandes, to talk about how prevention practitioners can redesign our virtual and physical spaces, systems and policies to make room for and honor youth voices. This conversation highlights power dynamics, covert elitism, opportunities for prevention practitioners and the transformative impacts of transformative leadership.

PreventConnect staff Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez and Janae Sargent sat down Laura Palumbo and Mo Lewis, from the National Sexual Assault Resource Center, to talk about the 2022 National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Campaign, Building Safe Online Spaces Together. The conversation highlights how white supremacy shows up in online spaces, what's missing in the mainstream conversation about online safety and what Preventionists and Practitioners can do to live their values online. This Podcast is a preview of the 2022 Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Campaign. For links to all resources and links mentioned, visit PreventConnect.org.

PreventConnect staff Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez and Tori VandeLinde explore fundamentals of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention, through the Roots of Violence Tree Metaphor.

Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez explores fundamentals of sexual and intimate partner violence prevention, through the Moving Upstream metaphor.

This podcast is an excerpt from PreventConnect's November 2021 web conference “Trauma-Informed Principles Are for Everyone: Supporting and Sustaining Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Practitioners.” Part 2 of this podcast is also available.

As 2021 comes to a close, PreventConnect staff reflect on the challenges and opportunities that sexual and intimate partner violence preventionists faced in the past year. This podcast picks up on PreventConnect's most recent podcast with David S. Lee and Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez, “Reflections from 2021." On this podcast, David and Ashleigh share what they've witnessed in the past year that has been a source of inspiration and hope for sexual and intimate partner violence prevention. They also share their visions for sexual and intimate partner violence prevention in 2022.

As 2021 comes to a close, PreventConnect staff reflect on the challenges and opportunities that sexual and intimate partner violence preventionists faced in the past year. David S. Lee and Ashleigh Klein-Jimenez shared their insights to how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a continued commitment to racial justice have shaped the work to prevent sexual and intimate partner violence. Part 2 of this podcast is also available, where Ashleigh and David share what has brought them hope in the past year and how that inspires their visions for prevention in 2022.