Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Check back for updated events each April

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. At Santa Monica College (SMC), our goal has always been to provide support for survivors of sexual assault as well as raising community awareness about sexual harassment, crime, and abuse and educate communities on how to prevent it.

During this time, we want the whole SMC community to know that you are not alone. While sexual violence does not just occur in April during this month at SMC, we annually provide a special focus to spotlight the issues.

We have created on ground and virtual events and a list of resources to provide support, education, virtual gathering and learning for victims and survivors of sexual assault and all those who are allies and care about them.

April 2022 Events

Beyond Sex Toolbox Series Workshop: Thursday, March 31, 2022

Consent and Intimate Partner Violence

Time: 11:15 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.

Day of Action: Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Resolution

Supported by the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees

Wear the color teal to support survivors!

Workshop: Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Empowerment through Self Defense

Time: 11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Location: SMC CPC Room 281

Join Garen Baghdasarian, from the Kinesiology/PE department. The workshop will consider strategies to avoid violent conflict, necessary self-defense tools for when physical altercation cannot be prevented, martial arts techniques that will help develop individual empowerment, claiming of your space, and survival under dangerous circumstances.

Everyone is welcome and wear comfortable clothes.

For more information contact BAGHDASARIAN_GAREN@smc.edu

If you need an accommodation due to a disability to participate, please contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at dsps@smc.edu or 310-434-4265 at least 5 business days prior to the event.

Community Clothesline Project & Resource Fair, Thursday, April 14th

Time: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Screen Printing, Ice Cream and More

Location: USC Village Great Lawn 3301 S Hoover St

Click here to Register

Beyond Sex Toolbox Series: Workshop: Thursday, April 21, 2022

Supporting Survivors of Trauma

Time: 11:15 a.m. to 12: 35 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Workshop: Monday, April 25, 2022

Yoga to Calm the Nervous System

Time: 10:00 am to 11:00 am

Location: SMC CPC Room 216

Join Johanna Bennett, from the Kinesiology/PE department. This workshop is presented to support healing for survivors of sexual violence and abuse. You are invited to practice yoga movement, breathing, relaxation and meditation to calm the nervous system. This class is created to bring relief from an overactive mind by anchoring into the body, heart, and the present moment through various Yoga practices. Everyone is welcome & wear comfortable clothes

For more information contact Bennett_Johanna@smc.edu

If you need an accommodation due to a disability to participate, please contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at dsps@smc.edu or 310-434-4265 at least 5 business days prior to the event.

Denim Day: Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Art + Empowerment

Time: 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Location: SMC Art Department Complex (RM 126)

Join Art Therapist and SMC Alumni Saba Harouni Lurie alongside SMC’s Art department for an evening of food and art making

To commemorate Denim Day we invite you to explore your inner voice and process through making and building art. Everyone participating will work on their own art pieces and can contribute to a larger dialogue as a group building a quilt of denim swatches. Denim, Materials, Food, Refreshments & More will be provided

For more information contact Emily Silver, Art faculty Silver_Emily@smc.edu | Other Denim Day Activities

If you need an accommodation due to a disability to participate, please contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at dsps@smc.edu or 310-434-4265 at least 5 business days prior to the event.

Beyond Sex Toolbox Series

Workshop: Thursday, May 12, 2022

Unconscious Bias

Time: 11:15 a.m. to 12: 35 p.m.

Location: Zoom

Class: Women’s Self Defense

Blaine Eastcott, from the Kinesiology/PE department, teaches Kin/PE 41W. A 16-week course designed to empower women to feel safe in their surroundings. The class covers prevention methods such as awareness, ways to conduct, carry yourself to ward off attackers, and methods and techniques to defend yourself if the unthinkable happens, including defensive strikes and escape techniques that will work on anyone, even a bigger and stronger opponent. You will have an answer for any way, anyone lays an unwanted hand on you. You will have these techniques for the rest of your life.

If you need an accommodation due to a disability to participate, please contact the Center for Students with Disabilities at dsps@smc.edu or 310-434-4265 at least 5 business days prior to the event.

Other Activities

Attend a SAAM Event: Join from anywhere!

Stay connected and engaged any time by checking out the events below.

Meditation, Yoga and Mindfulness

In Honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month: Ground and breathe your way into a gentle and peaceful practice in the healing power of meditation, yoga and mindfulness.

Click to Join the Meditation, Yoga and Mindfulness Activities

Empowerment Self Defense Training

Click to Request an Empowerment Self Defense Training

Peace Over Violence is offering Empowerment Self-Defense courses. They provide psychological awareness and verbal skills, not just physical training. Instructors utilize two cameras via Zoom–one for audio and one to display full range of motion for body movement throughout the class.

Virtual self-defense classes can be provided in English and Spanish.

Scavenger Hunt

SAAM 101 Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Get involved in Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting a scavenger hunt where you’ll learn how we can all work together in building safe online spaces together free of harassment and abuse. National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)

Day of Action: April 5, 2022

Participate in the #30DaysofSAAM on Instagram

Wear teal, the color of sexual violence prevention, and share your selfie or create a photo collage with your friends, co-workers, teammates, etc.

Heal through Coloring

More coloring pages can be found here

More Ways to Get Involved

Host a SAAM Event: Choose an event to host or create your own.

Spread the word on social media: Check out social media guidance, graphics, and gifs to help make your voice heard.

Donate to your local rape crisis center or an organization that provide services to survivors in your area. You can also consider supporting NSVRC’s work to create safer communities and help survivors.

Join a Blog

SAAM Blogs

Check out some of the blogs below: