Would your students benefit from an honest and frank conversation about sexual violence? Schools Consent Project speaks with thousands of young people all across NYC each year and we are only just getting started.
What do we do?
We deliver hour-long, lawyer-led workshops to middle and high schoolers on the legal definition of consent, bystander intervention, the offenses of rape, sexual assault and child pornography, "sexting" and "revenge porn", the ages of consent, and options in the event of an assault.
The workshop is delivered through a series of fun, interactive games and exercises aimed at gently challenging the students’ misconceptions and unearthing toxic attitudes and behaviors to bring about safer, healthier interactions from the grassroots up. By adopting a legal approach, we are able to address subjects that can otherwise feel challenging, sensitive, or simply taboo. Our workshops give young people agency, enabling them to fully understand the law around sex and consent in order to make informed and sensible decisions.
What Teachers Say
"I think it's really important for students to have the opportunity to talk about consent with someone that they feel less worried about being embarrassed in front of; where they feel that they can be fully honest." - Julie Wood, Teacher
"I haven't seen my kids this engaged about anything all year."
Find out more about what Schools Consent Project does to educate kids in New York City on the laws of consent.
What Students Say
Students frequently ask SCP volunteers when they can come back, and many have reported they wished they had this education earlier. Many young people live in households where these subjects are seen as political, or taboo, and appreciate the safety of having these conversations with our volunteers.
"[At home] It's something that we don't talk about. So being able to hear it and have someone tell me that it's okay—it was nice." - High School Student, The Young Women's Leadership School in Brooklyn
"It also just helped me understand more that if I don't want to do something, I just simply don't have to do it."
Information for Parents
We regularly speak with parents to enable them to support these discussions at home and ensure they feel properly informed about the content of our workshops. This also allows parents to feel confident about how the school is meeting (and exceeding) the regulatory requirements in delivering consent education. Consent education has the greatest impact when everyone is involved in the conversation.
"My son said his class was authentically engaged and surprised by some of what they learned. Usually when they have informative workshops...the feedback is pretty lackluster, so this was definitely a good shift."