April marks the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)! This year’s theme is “Together We Act, United We Change” and highlights the importance of working together to address and prevent sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. This campaign focuses on enhancing public understanding of sexual violence, amplifying the voices of survivors, and empowering us to work together to promote the safety and well-being of others. We must work to shift the ways our communities understand, talk about, and respond to sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. Now, more than ever, we must unite in uplifting the voices of survivors to build a stronger movement. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center offers a free social media toolkit and event planning resources to support institutions’ as they celebrate this month. Learn how a few Culture of Respect Collective institutions are centering survivors’ experiences in their campus programming:
Georgia Southern University (Cohort 9): Denim Day Health Huts
Georgia Southern University Student Wellness and Health Promotion as well as the Georgia Southern Sexual Response Team honors Denim Day on April 30th by having Health Huts on both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses. Students who attend can write letters of hope to survivors, make denim day buttons, access resources, and learn about consent. In addition, GSU has hosted a Denim Day T-shirt Design Contest, in which students were asked to design a t-shirt to be worn with denim on Denim Day. Proceeds from the shirts are donated to the following local rape crisis centers: The Teal House Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center in Statesboro and Mary’s Place Advocacy, Prevention, and Sexual Assault Center of the Coastal Empire in Savannah.
University of Tennessee Knoxville (Cohort 4): Celebrating SAAM
The Center for Health Education & Wellness in Partnership with the Office of Title IX hosted the 3rd annual Vols Walk for SAAM. In its first two years, there were over 700 participants who joined Chancellor Donde Plowman and Title IX Coordinator Ashley Blamey in a campus-wide walk to raise awareness about sexual assault. Additionally, over twenty campus and community organizations hosted engaging tables and activities designed to educate and empower the community. Additional SAAM activities included a donation drive for the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee, a lunch and learn with the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Denim Day, and a “Meet your Title IX Coordinator” coffee and chat.
Wayne State University (Cohort 9): Take Back the Night Detroit– A Celebration of Survivorship
A Celebration of Survivorship unites students, staff, faculty, advocates, and community members to amplify survivor voices that promote healing, and systemic change. Take Back the Night Detroit fosters awareness, resilience, survivorship, and collective action against violence. This event is held in conjunction with Wayne State University Partners: Center for Gender and Sexuality and the Dean of Students Office; and community partners: DREF Research Matters for All of Us and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Detroit Alumnae Chapter.
Whitman College (Cohort 8): Celebrating Sex Week
2025 marks another week long series of programming in honor of sex week! The week-long celebration is co-sponsored by multiple student leaders and campus staff. This includes, but not limited to: the Sexual Violence Prevention student leaders, the student club Planned Parenthood Generation Action, RVCC, the Glover Alston Intercultural Center, LGBTQIA+ Student Services, the Office of the President, and Whitman College’s Collective Campus Leadership Team. Workshops center on queer love, vaginal orgasms, how cultural media stereotypes impact our understanding of consent and sex, sex ed loteria, and survivor-centered tools for responding to student disclosures. Engagement activities include Take Back the Night, Looove Hub pop-up fair, cards against humanity game day in partnership with student athletes, and a keynote hosted by Cheyenne Tyler Jacobs.
