MC receives continuation grant from the DOJ for prevention education
Dec. 21, 2022
In 2019, Maryville College received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to create the Preventing Assault and Violence through Education (PAVE) program. In September, that program was renewed through a continuation grant.
The first grant allowed the College to hire Prevention-Education Coordinator Jessica Boor White, who manages the MC Violence Prevention and Education Center (VPEC). VPEC serves as a vital resource for Maryville College students and employees, providing ongoing education and facilitating a Coordinated Community Response Team (CCRT). The continuation of the grant allows for new members to join the CCRT and serve specific underrepresented groups like DACA students, LGBTQ students, and disabled students. The grant also allows Maryville College to develop protocols and services to better support non-native English-speaking students – such as English as a Second Language (ESL), limited English proficiency (LEP), and international student victims.
The coordinator will continue to collaborate with local organizations such as Haven House, the Maryville Police Department, Centro Hispano, YWCA and the McNabb Center to increase services available to students experiencing a crisis. While the College has worked with these organizations in many capacities, the continuation grant allows MC to interact with them through memorandums of understanding (MOU).
Besides coordination with organizations, the grant allows VPEC to continue training programs with local law enforcement and campus staff. These trainings help different law enforcement agencies improve the effectiveness of their responses and investigations of these incidents, and their ability to make victims feel safe for reporting them. The College staff trainings deal with procedures and the processes behind reporting, and both educational programs teach law enforcement and College staff how to successfully provide “trauma-informed care.”
Through the implementation of the PAVE program, the College has seen an increase in students feeling comfortable reporting incidents to the administration.
“We see that as a positive sign that students feel more comfortable and safe to reach out for help,” said MC Dean of Students Dr. Melanie V. Tucker. “We know students can best focus on their academic and individual goals when they feel a sense of belonging within the campus community, and the continuation of the DOJ grant allows us to strengthen our efforts in this regard.”
Through the initial grant, the College successfully targeted education across student cohorts, which was provided as evidence in the application process for a grant continuation. VPEC serves students through providing victim services and prevention training. Every incoming student completes bystander training and modules on prevention.
VPEC also hosts a variety of different student events as a form of “primary prevention” throughout the school year. One event the College has seen success in is “Capture the Flag,” organized by VPEC team members and Mountain Challenge fellows. Mountain Challenge staff hid colored flags around campus — green and red, color-coded to match dating behaviors that are considered safe or toxic. Students were then tasked with finding each flag, reading it and taking a photo with it. VPEC also acknowledges various observances such as Stalking Awareness Month.
According to Tucker, the extension of PAVE reaffirms the College’s Vision for Diversity and goal of making the campus safe for all students.
As the College was permitted a grant continuation, the PAVE program will be able to continue to serve and educate students about sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (SADVDVS).