The Rowan Center addresses sexual violence in our community through advocacy, counseling, and education. In addition to walking alongside victims as they process, recover from, and seek treatment for abuse, we are also working to reduce sexual violence from happening in the first place through comprehensive education programs for students of all ages.
This commitment to education is central to our mission and directly aligns with our community’s broader goals. In 2014, the Connecticut General Statute Sec. 17a-101q mandated a state-wide sexual abuse and assault awareness program created by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) and Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence (The Alliance). All local and regional school districts were directed to implement this program by 2016, and The Rowan Center has served as a resource to help schools meet this mandate.
As a member of The Alliance, The Rowan Center is one of nine organizations in our region that work together as sexual violence advocates. We continue to work with schools to provide sexual abuse and assault awareness education at no cost.
We have developed age-appropriate curricula that suits the unique needs of each grade level and meets state guidelines. If you would like to schedule prevention education at your school or have any questions on our programming, please submit the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Workshops and Programs for Elementary School
Tools for Parents: How to Talk to Your Children about Boundaries + Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
Recommended for Parents of Kindergarten – 2nd Grade Students
50-60 minutes
This program defines boundaries, the “clean and healthy” rule, and other helpful strategies for young children. It challenges myths and misconceptions around child abuse, and it gives parents tools and strategies to help prevent child sexual abuse and protect their children. Finally, the program helps people recognize the signs of child abuse and know how to respond if a child shares about abuse.
Being the Boss of Your Body
Recommended for 3rd-5th Grade Students
35-40 minutes
This presentation teaches children that they are the boss of their body by educating them about bodily autonomy, defining physical and emotional boundaries, and empowering them to make the rules for their own bodies. It discusses the “clean and healthy” rule, which provides children with clear rules about what behaviors from adults are unsafe, and then gives them tools for reporting abuse if they experience it.
Being the Boss of Your Body + Internet Safety
Recommended for 4th – 5th Grade Students
45-50 minutes
For 4th and 5th-graders, Being the Boss of Your Body expands students’ understanding of bodily autonomy in age-appropriate ways. The internet safety addendum teaches helpful rules for the internet and gives students the tools to recognize unsafe interactions online.
This presentation covers what private information is and why it’s important not to share it online, how to be sure that the person you’re talking to online is telling the truth, what dangerous situations look like, and what to do when something feels uncomfortable.
Workshops and Programs for Middle School
Being the Boss of Your Body + Internet Safety
Recommended for 6th Grade Students
45-50 minutes
In the internet age, middle schoolers are online more than ever, using the internet to communicate, socialize, and complete homework. This presentation helps students understand why private information should not be shared online, how to have safe online interactions, how to avoid dangerous situations, and what to do when something feels uncomfortable. The presentation also teaches middle schoolers about their rights to bodily autonomy, empowers them to set physical and emotional boundaries, and gives them tools for reporting abuse if they experience it.
Joking vs. Harassment: Respecting Boundaries and Making School Safer
Recommended for 7th-8th Grade Students
45 minutes
This program helps students understand the four main categories of sexual harassment: verbal, non-verbal, written, and physical. Students learn the difference between flirting and sexual harassment by discussing real-life scenarios. This presentation also helps students understand what safe—and unsafe—behavior at school looks like, and gives students resources on how to report sexual harassment should they ever experience or witness it.
Understanding Consent
Recommended for: 8th Grade Students
45-55 minutes
This program provides safety education for students, helping them understand the dynamics of consent. It gives them tools to make decisions about their own personal boundaries and values, and resources they can use if they or someone they know experiences a sexual assault. Students learn how to identify whether relationships are consensual; how to protect both themselves and their partners; and key definitions and laws related to consensual relationships, sexual assault, and consent. They also explore common myths and misconceptions around the topic.
*This is not a sex education program. The language used in this presentation is age-appropriate and specifically geared toward younger teens in 7th-8th grade.
Workshops and Programs for High School
Consent in Relationships
Recommended for 9th – 10th Grade Students
45-55 minutes
This program helps students understand the dynamics of consent within a relationship and how to navigate through conversations around setting boundaries and expectations. Students learn how to avoid putting pressure on their partners and have healthy dialogue around the topic of consent. Students receive valuable resources that they can use if they, or someone they know, experiences sexual violence and intimate partner violence.
Sexual Harassment Prevention
Recommended for 9th – 10th Grade Students
45-55 minutes
This program helps students understand the four main categories of sexual harassment: verbal, non-verbal, written, and physical. Students learn the difference between flirting and sexual harassment by discussing real-life scenarios. This presentation also details relevant legislation, such as Title IX, which helps students gain valuable knowledge about their right to inclusive education, and resources to report sexual harassment.
Understanding Consent
Recommended for 9th – 10th Grade Students
45-55 minutes
This program helps students understand the dynamics of consent and how to define their own boundaries and values. Students learn how to identify whether relationships are consensual, how to protect themselves and their partners, and key definitions and laws related to consensual relationships, sexual assault, and consent. They also explore common myths and misconceptions around the topic. Students receive valuable resources that they can use if they, or someone they know, experiences sexual assault.
Know Before You Go
Recommended for 11th – 12th Grade Students
60-75 minutes or two 40-minute sessions
This presentation is geared toward students who are about to graduate and designed to prepare them for higher education or the workforce. We talk about the prevalence of sexual violence on college campuses, what resources to look for when researching prospective colleges, and how students can report sexual violence. We also inform students on consent, how rape culture and victim-blaming contribute to sexual violence, and how to intervene as a bystander to help their peers. Finally, we cover related legislation under which institutions are ruled, such as Title IX and the Cleary Act.
Workshops and Programs for Adults
The Teacher’s Guide
Recommended for: School teachers and faculty members (presentation is catered to each school level)
60-75 minutes
In this program, school staff will learn best practices in the classroom and school community around discussing consent and boundaries with students and parents. We want to start teaching these important life-long skills as early as possible, and reinforce them throughout the ages. Staff will also walk away with a better understanding of how to take a disclosure and mandated reporting processes. In addition, staff members will learn –
- At the elementary level: myths and misconceptions around child sexual abuse and assault
- At the middle and high school level: definitions and laws around age of consent, sexting, sexual harassment, and sexual assault
Parent Talk
Recommended for: Parents and guardians of youth of all ages
60-75 minutes
In this program, parents will learn tips and strategies in engaging their children in a productive and healthy conversation around sex, consent, boundaries, and sexual violence. Participants will gain age and developmentally appropriate ways to discuss these topics with youth, while gaining a deeper understanding of how we can end sexual violence as individuals, and as a community.
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
Recommended for: All businesses, organizations, and agencies with 3+ employees
60-75 minutes
In this program, participants will learn the legal types of sexual harassment in the workplace, the process of filing a complaint, and the laws and nuances involved. Participants will also walk away with a better understanding of how to eliminate sexual harassment in the work place entirely. This presentation meets the state of Connecticut’s legal requirements for employers. Certificate included.
Working with Victims of Sexual Violence
Recommended for: Law enforcement and members of the criminal justice system
75-90 minutes
This program includes information around trauma, trauma-informed care, and best practices around interacting with and interviewing victims of sexual violence. Facilitators are certified police instructors under the state of Connecticut. This program counts towards continuing education hours mandated by the state of Connecticut for law enforcement personnel.
Preventing and Identifying Child Sexual Abuse
Recommended for: Anyone who engages with children on a regular basis (Camp counselors, doctors and nurses, school staff, etc.)
60-75 minutes
This program provides participants with a detailed understanding of the myths and misconceptions around child abuse, symptoms and behaviors of children who are being abused, and how to respond to and report a disclosure using best practices.
