Community Initiatives
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REQUEST A PRESENTATION
Click on the button below to access the
Speaker Request Form for your school or organization. Please fill out the first page of the form and then click the "SUBMIT BY EMAIL" button at the bottom of the first page (*Note this method only works with an Outlook email connection). You can also download the PDF form instead, then fax it to 415-861-2092.
FILL OUT ONLINE SPEAKER REQUEST FORM*
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INFORMATION TABLE
The Community Initiatives Program can provide an information table at your event. We are able to provide a limited number of information tables each year. To request an information table please call our office at least 2-weeks in advance or fill out a Speaker Request Form (see links above). If we are not able to table an event we may be able to send informational materials.
PEER2PEER OUTREACH & ORGANIZING PROJECT
Please submit application in one of the following ways:
- FAX to: 415-861-2092
- EMAIL to: info@sfwar.org
Please put "P2P PROJECT" in subject line of email
- MAIL or DROP OFF to:
Director of Community Initiatives
San Francisco Women Against Rape
3543 18th Street, #7
San Francisco, CA 94110
Click here to download application
to Participate in Peer2Peer Outreach and Project
Click here to download flyer
for the Peer2Peer Outreach and Organizing Project
Click here for more information
about the Peer2Peer Outreach and Organizing Project
What is the peer2peer outreach & organizing project?
P2P is a new project initiated by San Francisco Women Against Rape to provide peerbased outreach to marginally housed, homeless or recently homeless women living in San Francisco County. We seek to provide information, resources, and referrals to women on sexual violence prevention and services. It is an opportunity to gain valuable leadership skills, participate in outreach activities, and attend a paid training on topics related to sexual violence, including self-defense, anti-oppression, deescalation skills and more. This project also encourages women to self-organize and work collaboratively to initiate relevant community work and campaigns.
Is this a job?
Selected participants who complete the full 16-hour training will receive a $240 stipend and $20/hour for up to 10 hours of outreach conducted within three months of completing the training. The peer2peer outreach project is not considered formal employment and participants are not provided any employment benefits.
What will I be doing?
Participants in the project will have the opportunity to:
(1) Attend a paid 16-hour training; (2) Conduct outreach in SRO hotels of the Mission and Tenderloin Districts; (3) Help organize educational workshops at neighborhood hotels on topics such as sexual assault and rape prevention, sexual harassment, drug-facilitated sexual assault, healthy relationships and other relevant topics; (4) Create positive change in the SRO community by addressing issues related to sexual violence and participating in primary prevention efforts; (5) Receive hourly compensation for outreach work, for up to 10 hours; (6) Connect with peers and provide information, resources and support to women around the topic of sexual violence and prevention; (7) Apply to become a state certified rape crisis counselor and volunteer with SFWAR should you decide to continue working on this issue
What is the time commitment?
Participants in the project will be asked to commit to attending the full 16-hour training, which will be held on weekends and evenings over two weeks. Additionally, participants who have completed the training will be asked to participate in 3-6 outreach attempts over the course of three months following the training for up to 10 hours. Following is a breakdown of the time commitment:
You should apply if you...
(1) Have an interest in and commitment to the goal of ending sexual violence; (2) Are willing and able to learn new things and keep an open mind; (3) Have an ability to express your concerns and needs; (4) Are able to work well in teams and get along with others; (5) Have a commitment to building not only one’s own leadership skills, but also
those of others; (6) Respect and represent the diversity of tenants residing in SRO buildings (i.e. race, language, economic situation, gender, etc.); (7) Believe that positive change is possible and have a desire to make a positive impact in your community.
How many Peer2Peer Outreach and Organizing positions are available and how long will it last?
There will be 6 outreach positions available starting January 2011 and will last 3-6 months depending on participant availability. Outreach positions may be extended depending upon the needs of the program and participant availability.
How will people be selected?
Interns will be selected through an application process, which includes completing and turning in your application, attending an interview, and being selected. You will receive a phone call or email if you are selected for the interview stage of the process. Priority in selection will be given to SRO tenants who have some experience in tenant leadership or community organizing. However, we also aim to identify and support the development of new leaders.
Do I have to live in a SRO Hotel to apply?
If you are not currently living in an SRO but you have a commitment to improving SRO hotels, you may apply. Also, if you have a strong connection to the Mission District community, but you do not live in the Mission, you may apply as well.
Is the internship the only way to participate in the work of San Francisco Women Against Rape?
If you do not get accepted into the P2P program, you can still participate in the work of SFWAR by becoming a volunteer or attending some of our annual events like the Walk Against Rape in April or Artists Against Rape in the Fall. Please contact us if you have interest in volunteering.
When is the deadline to apply?
Applications are due Tuesday, November 30th, 2010, in the San Francisco Women Against Rape office located on the3rd floor of the Women’s Building at 3543 18th Street, #7 (between Valencia and Guerrero). You may drop off the application in person, mail it to the address below, email an electronic version or send by fax.
PREVENTION EDUCATION
In moving toward our vision of creating holistic modes of healing and accountability we launched the Community Initiatives Program in 2006. This new program is a merging of both our Adult and Teen Education department, and will address entire communities through interactive education while intergrating rape crisis services, direct health care, community education and organizing, relationship building and accountability models.
We offer training on various topics to youth and adults in schools, social service agencies, and community organizations. Presentation topics include the following
(click topics below to read short descriptions and download associated handouts):
• Sexual Assault and Rape Prevention
Sexual Assault and Rape Prevention: This interactive presentation provides fundamental information about sexual assault, including: consent, staying safe on a date, myths about rape, and what to do if you or someone you know has been assaulted. Participants learn to frame rape within the context of larger cultural institutions and critically examine how various forms of oppression intersect to create and sustain a 'rape culture.'
• Sexual Harassment Prevention
Sexual Harassment Prevention: In this presentation participants learn how to define sexual harassment and distinguish between sexual harassment and flirting (flirting vs. hurting). Participants learn strategies to address sexual harassment when it happens to them or someone they know. During the presentation facilitators help participants to deconstruct sexual harassment scenarios involving issues of gender, race, age, size, etc., while exploring underlying power dynamics that maintain hostile environments.
• Healthy Relationships
Healthy Relationships: In this presentation, participants learn to recognize and define qualities of healthy relationships. Interactive exercises are used to illustrate how to set healthy personal boundaries, and what to do if you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship. Participants learn about behavioral warning signs present in unhealthy relationships, including the cycle of violence and the power and control wheel.
• Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault
Supporting Survivors of Sexual Assault: This presentation is designed for health care providers and counselors who have clients dealing with issues around sexual violence. Participants learn essential techniques around supporting survivors, cardinal symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) and Rape Trauma Syndrome, statistics, how and where to get medical treatment in the aftermath of an assault, community resources, self-care tips for providers, family members and loved ones, and an overview of rape culture.
• Anti-Oppression
Anti-Oppression: This presentation provides participants with essential terminology (racism, prejudice, internalized oppression) and a basic overview of the dynamics of oppression. Through the use of interactive exercises, role-plays, and other dramatic techniques, participants explore and deconstruct oppression dynamics. The role of cultural, familial and institutional messages in creating and sustaining oppression, and the origins of oppression are explored, as is the relationship between rape and other forms of oppression. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of the ally in eradicating various forms of oppression. Additionally, participants learn basic non-defensive communication strategies.
• Internalized Oppression
Internalized Oppression: In this two-hour workshop participants will learn about the concept of internalized oppression while being encouraged to examine how individual, cultural, and institutional messages are impact personal belief systems and how this influences decision-making and interpersonal relationships. This is primarily a process oriented, experiential workshop focusing on individual self-reflection.
• Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault
Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault: This presentation provides a fundamental overview of DFSA, prevention tips for youth and parents, statistics, how to identify common date rape drugs and their effects on individuals, evidence collection procedures, what to do if you or someone you know has been drugged, and the emotional and psychological impact of date rape drugs on survivors.
• Internet Communication Technology Based Violence Prevention
ICT Violence Prevention: In this presentation facilitators examine how the advent of the internet has created a new and fertile forum for various types of sexual perpetration, harassment and violence. During this presentation, participants learn valuable tips for staying safe on the internet, including what to do if you or someone you know is being cyberbullied, cyberstalked or sexually harassed using the internet or other forms of technology.
• Rape Culture
Rape Culture: During this interactive presentation participants learn to critically examine how the media promotes a “rape culture” and how this impacts our relationships with each other and with ourselves. Participants will learn to frame issues of sexual violence within a larger context of systems and institutions and explor how various forms of oppression intersect to create and sustain a cultural climate that normalizes sexual violence.
• Bystander Intervention
Bystander Intervention: This interactive presentation provides an overview of oppression dynamics and strategies for interrupting oppressive situations when they occur. During the presentation, participants learn about the roles of bystander, target, ally, and oppressor and how each operates during an oppressive situation. The workshop engages participants in dramatic role-plays that explore motiviations behind oppressive actions while also providing opportunities to practice intervening.
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PREVENTION EDUCATION MATERIALS
TRAINING & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Our Recruitment & Training Program works to build a community of activists willing to struggle, learn and work toward individual and community healing. The training includes education on dynamics of sexual violence in diverse communities, dialogues about challenging oppression, and skill building in crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy, and outreach. Through ongoing support and training of our volunteer pool of Hotline Counselors, Medical Advocates, In-Person Counselors and Outreach Volunteers and interns, we are able to provide quality peer-based services free of charge.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & ORGANIZING
Community Organizing: The program has identified five specific at-risk communities that frequently have limited access to services. Over the past year the CI Program has conducted a series of focus groups with each of these communities in an effort to assess the impact of gender-based violence within these communities. This past year we assembled a Task Force comprised of community leaders to analyze the information we have collected from these focus groups. Our plan is to create a comprehensive report summarizing all of the data, which can be used to better inform the type of services we provide, assess gaps in service, and help us to create culturally and linguistically competent media materials.
Outreach: This year SFWAR launched a structured outreach plan targeting residents of the Mission District and Tenderloin. The plan provides a detailed strategy for disseminating prevention education materials and resources to the community on a regular basis. In addition to these activities, we frequently provide information tables at community health fairs and events, enlisting the help of certified rape crisis counselor volunteers. Last year we tabled at a total of 20 events across San Francisco County, providing valuable informational resources to the public.
