Project Equality

What is Project Equality?

Project Equality is a set of educational curricula targeting youth in grades 10-12 and 7-9 with sexual assault prevention skills and information. Youth in grades 5-6 also learn bullying prevention information and skills as a way to understand basic information about other abusive behavior. Each of the three curricula includes seven or eight hour to hour-and-a-half sessions that teach youth:

Legal definitions of rape and sexual assault.
Ways to challenge harmful myths and attitudes.
Rape and bullying reduction through safe, responsible behaviors.
The financial and emotional cost to both survivors and society.
How community and youth involvement prevent rape, sexual assault and bullying.
Bullying intervention exercises to introduce skills for identifying and communicating feelings and identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships..
Local and national resources to support survivors and rehabilitate offenders.

The Project Equality curricula consists of a 3-ring bound facilitator's manual for each of the three grade levels, and spiral bound student manuals for learners in grades 7-9 and 10-12. Curriculum materials are provided at no cost to trained Project Equality Facilitators in Indiana, thanks to the Indiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facilitator training is a one-day program that can be scheduled anywhere in Indiana, also at no cost. People in other states who wish to use the Project Equality curricula can still have facilitator's trainings and obtain curriculum materials for a nominal costs.

Who Benefits?

All youth can benefit from decision-making, problem-solving, communication skills, leadership, and community development skills. Our lessons are designed to create zero tolerance for rape, sexual assault and bullying among youth. Our content is Serious. Our delivery is creative.

What's Unique?

Project Equality activities use the Experimental Learning Model made popular by 4-H and other out-of-the-classroom youth development activities to create a stimulating learning environment. This graphic shows the learning process used to teach sexual assault and bullying prevention in Project Equality:

Project Equality also involves parents/guardians of youth learners in order to strengthen the effectiveness of curriculum material and engage parents/guardians in the discussion of beliefs and values.

Who Can Implement It?

4-H clubs, after school programs, local youth clubs, community and recreation centers, scouting programs, group homes, churches, and diverse groups can implement Project Equality. Once an adult attends the required one-day facilitators' training almost any group can use it.

How To Take Action

For more information, contact:

Seth Hicks, Project Equality Coordinator/CARe Statewide Male Involvement Coordinator

Agricultural Administration Building Room 214

615 West State Street

West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2053

Phone: (765) 494-6871

sahicks@purdue.edu

Project Equality Brochure (.pdf)

Project Equality is a component of CARe,
the Communities Against Rape Initiative of Indiana.

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