O’Mara announces three It’s On US PA grants to help combat sexual assault at local colleges and universities
Rep. Jennifer M. O'Mara January 13, 2021 | 10:20 AM
RADNOR, Jan. 13 – State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, today announced that three higher education institutions received It’s On Us PA state grants for from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which aims to reduce instances of sexual violence on university campuses.
Grants will be distributed as follows:
- Cabrini University: $30,000.
- Eastern University: $30,000.
- Delaware County Community College: up to $15,350.
“In order to end sexual violence, we need to examine this issue from many different angles. Supporting survivors is a worthwhile mission, but it’s crucial we do more to prevent these instances from happening in the first place,” O’Mara said. “This funding is a valuable investment in safety, well-being and character of not just college students, but the working professionals of tomorrow.”
Delaware County Community College is one of five applicants that received It’s on Us carryover dollars. PDE is able to offer additional grant awards totaling $76,753 to the next five highest-scoring applicants as part of the 2020-2021 It’s on Us grant competition.
The grants announced today may be used through May 2022 to address goals of the It’s On Us PA campaign, including:
- Improve awareness, prevention, reporting and response systems regarding sexual violence in college.
- Remove or reduce barriers that prevent survivors of sexual violence from reporting or accessing resources.
- Demonstrate leadership to change campus culture by challenging Pennsylvania’s education leaders to improve an institution’s climate around sexual assault.
For more information, residents may call O’Mara’s office at (610) 544-9878.