― adrienne maree brown, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds
What is SAPE’s mission?
To be a collectively accountable and mutually supportive community of Brown University students who are grounded in intersectional feminism and dedicated to shaping campus culture around sexual, relationship, and gender-based harm. We provide preventative education for our peer communities to actively engage in consent, intervention, survivor support and community healing.
What does SAPE do?
Working with BWell Health Promotion, SAPE provides an opportunity for students to play a meaningful role in moving Brown towards a culture of consent. SAPE members do outreach work on campus, facilitate workshops with student groups, create and deliver content meant to raise awareness, prevent harm and support survivors at Brown, and participate in a supportive, accountable, and values-driven community.
What is the SAPE workshop?
Any Brown affiliated student group can request a SAPE workshop. Our curriculum was designed for Brown through the collaboration of students and staff members in BWell Health Promotion.
The curriculum focuses on:
- the foundational elements of consent and barriers to consent
- systems of oppression and how they relate to sexual and gender-based harm
- skills to intervene, challenge harmful norms, and talk to others about their behaviors
- how to support those who have experienced harm
- how to create community-based plans for care, action, and change
To request a workshop for your student group, fill out this form. For more information, email [email protected].
How can I get involved?
SAPE is open to all students, of all identities and experiences. There are many communities whose voices have been historically left out of these violence prevention spaces and conversations (e.g. people with disabilities, people of color (POC), native folks, and people who identify as LGBTQIA+). SAPE aims to lift up and center the voices of those most most minoritized, targeted, and impacted by sexual, relationship, and gender-based violence. SAPE looks for a diverse group of people to serve as members including those willing to take a critical lens to the work and examine the impacts of Whiteness and White Feminism on sexual violence as well as violence prevention and response efforts.
While facilitation experience and/or previous knowledge about sexual, relationship, and gender-based violence are beneficial, there are no prerequisites for joining or working with SAPE. SAPE offers training on the SAPE curriculum, background and theory, and facilitation skills, to build the necessary knowledge base and skill set to do this work effectively.
SAPE recruits new members each fall. Questions? Email [email protected].
Safety, Care & Accountability
Safety, self-and-community care, and accountability are major aspects of this program. Because this is a difficult topic to work on, we will support you to balance taking care of yourself, caring for others, and being accountable to your communities.
What will I do as a SAPE?
There are a range of options for engagement with SAPE. The three tiers of engagement include:
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SAPE Member |
At this level of engagement, members attend bi-weekly SAPE meetings and support SAPE outreach and programming. SAPE members often serve as a liaison between SAPE and other student communities/groups they are a part of. SAPE members can table at outreach events, support consent week planning, disseminate SAPE flyers/materials, shadow SAPE workshops, and more. |
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SAPE Facilitator |
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SAPE Coordinator |
Coordinators are recruited and selected on an as-needed basis to ensure staffing of 4-5 Coordinators at any given time. The Coordinators lead SAPE’s educational efforts, plan SAPE events, and train new members. Coordinators attend weekly SAPE Coordinator meetings and bi-weekly all-SAPE meetings. SAPE Coordinators are paid student staff positions. |
**No matter your level of engagement, it is always ok and encouraged to communicate with the SAPE supervision team if you feel you need to take a step back for a semester/year. Your wellbeing matters.**
When does the group meet?
SAPE meets bi-weekly. Attendance at these meetings, while not mandatory, is strongly encouraged as it helps everyone to stay on the same page, support each other, and do our best work. Other social events, community learning sessions, and community care programs are offered throughout the year
Where can I learn more?
Please contact [email protected] with any questions! You can also follow us on Instagram @sapeatbrown or learn more at our Linktree https://linktr.ee/sapeatbrown
Thank you so much!
