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Sept. 19, 2022

51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø will host educational events during Consent Awareness Week, which takes place between Sept. 19 and 23 at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Brantford and Waterloo campuses.

Consent Awareness Week aims to raise awareness among students about the role that consent plays in the development of healthy relationships and in reducing sexual violence. 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø is committed to fostering a culture that advocates for consent as gendered and sexual violence is not tolerated.

“Consent Awareness Week is a new initiative across the country which is timed as a direct response to the ‘red zone,’ when there are statistically heightened instances of sexual assault happening during the first semester of university,” says Sarah Scanlon, manager of sexual violence response in the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø. “This week aims to normalize collective skill-building to move towards a consent culture, which includes healthy sexual communication, understanding and naming boundaries, safer partying and sex practices, capacity for rejection and engaging as active bystanders when we witness harm.”

The following events are free and open to all 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø students. Advanced registration may be required for some events.

Monday, Sept. 19

Video launch: Moving Beyond a Consent 101

Created by , Moving Beyond a Consent 101 is a short, animated video that discusses how to develop healthy intimate relationships through action, behaviour and communication. Visit to view the video.

Online Workshop: Bystander Intervention

Presented by 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Gendered Violence Prevention and Support team, the bystander intervention workshop explores ways that bystanders can respond to encounters with harm. Completion of this workshop will count towards the .

The workshop takes place between noon and 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. .

Instagram Takeover

Tune into for an all-day takeover by 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Consent is Golden team as they share information and resources on consent, Consent Awareness Week activities at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø, healthy relationships and acting in solidarity.

Tuesday, Sept. 20

We Believe Survivors Day: Waterloo Campus

51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø will mark We Believe Survivors Day at the Waterloo campus on Sept. 20 and at the Brantford campus on Sept. 21 with an open art-jam session and resource fair. Students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in on-site and take-home activities, including silk screening, button-making, a collective art project and photo display. Community organizations will also be in attendance.

• Waterloo campus: Sept. 20, noon to 4 p.m., the Quad
• Brantford campus: Sept. 21, noon to 4 p.m., Research and Academic Centre West (RCW), lobby

Wednesday, Sept. 21

We Believe Survivors Day: Brantford Campus

As above.

Instagram Takeover: Curiosity Labs’ Curious about Pleasure?

Consent is Golden at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø and will reflect on what brings joy and pleasure in our relationship with ourselves and others. Follow along with .

Thursday, Sept. 22

51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø Students’ Union Banging Brunch Talk

welcomes Sarah Crawford, sexual violence prevention and harm reduction coordinator at Algonquin College, as she discusses consent, sex, and human anatomy – complete with cartoon drawings – in her presentation “The Best Sex Ever.”

The presentation will be offered at both 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø campuses:

• Waterloo campus: 11 a.m., the Turret
• Brantford campus: 2 p.m., RCW lobby

Rally

Students across postsecondary institutions in Canada have planned a rally on Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. to bring awareness to the need for enhanced consent education and demonstrate solidarity for survivors. Rallies will take place in the Quad at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Waterloo campus and the RCW courtyard at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Brantford campus. The rallies are organized by the 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø Students’ Union.

Friday, Sept. 23

Instagram Takeover

Consent Awareness Week at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø closes with a takeover of 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Instagram account by 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø’s Consent is Golden team as they share additional resources and consent, support and ways to remain in solidarity with survivors.

For more information about Consent Awareness Week at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø, email Sarah Scanlon, manager of sexual violence response, at sscanlon@wlu.ca.

Consent Education at 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø

51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø offers a range of in-person and online programming open to students, staff and faculty to promote a culture of consent. Programming includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• : provided upon the completion of six of nine virtual workshops about building knowledge and skills to respond to disclosures and build solidarity for survivors.
• : a series of seven online workshops designed to explore topics including communication, boundaries, rejection, apologizing and handling conflict.
• , including healthy relationships, resilience and conflict management.
• Consensual Explorations, a mandatory online workshop for students living in residence. The workshop addresses topics including boundaries, sexual communication, rejection, safer partying and play, among others.

Support and Resources

Support is available to all members of the 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø community who have been impacted by gendered or sexual violence, regardless of when or where the violence took place.

:

• 519.884.1970 x4847
• svinfo@wlu.ca

24-Hour Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Lines:

• Waterloo: 519.741.8633
• Brantford: 519.751.3471

Emergency: 911

Special Constable Service:

• Waterloo: 519.885.3333 (external phones) or x3333 (on-campus phones)
• Brantford: 519.770.3778 (external phones) or x3333 (on-campus phones)

Employee and Family Assistance Program

• Confidential support available to 51³ÉÈ˸£ÀûÍø employees and their dependents
• 1.800.663.1142