UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Stand for State, Penn State’s bystander intervention initiative, is opening applications to students interested in becoming peer educators. Applications will be open until midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 26.
Peer educators will have the opportunity to empower other students to make proactive choices while helping to create a different culture on campus. This includes the need to intervene if a student witnesses something concerning, like possible sexual or relationship violence.
Stand for State addresses four topics that focus on interrupting sexual and relationship violence, mental health concerns, alcohol and drug use, and acts of bias. Stand for State's goal is to create a campus where everyone watches out for one another — because everyone deserves to be safe.
Katie Marshall, Stand for State director, said that the role of the peer educators is to empower students to step in when it counts.
“This is an opportunity for students to connect with other students that also want to create positive change on campus,” Marshall said. “This is a challenging topic to address, but also a hopeful one in that it empowers students to take action and prevent harm from happening to their peers.”
Students will find general questions on the application about why they are interested and what their skills and abilities are. After students submit their applications, a round of in-person interviews will take place.
Marshall said Stand for State is looking for students who are interested in bystander intervention topics, are good at public speaking, are well-respected by their peers, and who want to make a difference on campus.
Students can expect to provide programming to other student groups and help plan and participate in events. Students will provide 60- to 90-minute programs to student groups and peers about how to interrupt sexual and relationship violence.
In events and tabling, students will collaborate with other student groups and offices who are hosting events and will also raise awareness during events like Sexual Violence Prevention and Awareness Week.
Marshall said joining the program is a yearlong commitment. It starts with training throughout the fall semester, including a weekend training session. During the spring semester, peer educators will begin providing programming.
If interested, students can apply to be a peer educator here or email standforstate@psu.edu with any questions.