Volunteering to gain insights and educate others
Last summer, I was looking for volunteer opportunities and wanted to find an issue that was relevant to my life. My goal was to gain new insights and help educate others. Eventually, the topic of sexual harassment clicked and I applied to volunteer with SASH Club, Students Against Sexual Harassment. But my story doesn’t start with France, where I study, or SASH Club. It begins with my country of origin.
Up until grade 8 I didn’t even know about catcalling. I remember the first time I saw a video of a woman barking at a harasser. She struck me as so powerful and brave! Thanks to social media, I began learning about sexual harassment and setting boundaries.
Russian culture has always been more patriarchal when compared with those of Europe and America. As a teenager I noticed how women were often treated differently, whether at work or at school, for their clothes or “loud” personality. Some of my teachers objectified female students. We got better grades when dressing more “femininely” for classes taught by male teachers. We were scolded by administrators if our blouse was slightly see-through or makeup was bright. I was always encouraged to fit someone else’s standards. At school I realized how deeply gender bias and sexual harassment are rooted in education systems and our lives generally. I tried to educate people I talked with, so we all could help stop the unfair treatment.
There were many volunteer opportunities, but since I’m good at video editing and wanted to spread awareness online, I decided that creating videos would be ideal. Although it can be hard for me to speak up in public—becoming comfortable with other people’s opinions is a long, challenging journey—spreading awareness through a phone screen put me at ease. With every video I made for SASH Club, I gained practical insights that have helped me navigate life.
Most of my content comes from the SASH Club Power Topics and toolkits from Stop Sexual Assault in Schools (SSAIS). They contain key subject matter and include scenarios, discussion questions, helplines, and resources. I loved learning something new every day. Thanks to the Power Topics, I learned about hazing, date rape drugs, and how to get confidential help. I especially loved that the Power Topic presentations described the subjects in a simple, understandable way without omitting important terminology.
It was important to understand my target audience. Most people’s attention spans have narrowed so much that a 60-second video seems like a “long watch.” That’s why I used stickers, pictures, text, and transition effects to engage the viewer. Each video begins with a “hook,” such as an intriguing question, a controversial statement, or a scenario.
Not only did this project provide me with crucial knowledge, but it has also made me more resilient and organized. With the nine-hour time difference between France and my volunteer advisor, I had to plan my time wisely to meet deadlines. Perseverance was needed to overcome some editing challenges! I also learned to see creativity everywhere. When given a script, my job was to present it the best way, even if it meant searching for completely new formats.
Through volunteering, I gained new insights about my own experiences. For instance, I saw how Russia’s culture surrounding sexual harassment and assault is very different from American culture. In Russia, sexual harassment and assault are more normalized. If, say, a girl reported to the principal that she was harassed, she would be told, “It’s not serious.” While I won’t deny that this happens in America too, I believe the reporting system is better in the U.S. There also appears to be more support for victims, including students of color and LGBTQ+ students. It was astonishing to find so many ways American students can seek help or get educated about sexual harassment and assault.
After volunteering for forty hours, I obtained a lot of practical knowledge and new skills. Each of my 39 videos is unique and educational. Because the problem of sexual harassment very much resonates with me as a woman, volunteering has been especially meaningful. I am grateful for the opportunity to speak up about this global problem. I also fulfilled my goal to broaden my own knowledge about sexual harassment and assault. For example, when I made a “confidential help” video, I learned that victims of assault have the option of telling the story hypothetically (“if this were to happen”) without revealing their own experience.
The most important message I took away from volunteering—one I shared in every video—is that you’re never alone. There is always someone to help you, whether a trusted adult or local helpline staff. And there is always a community you can turn to, including the one created by SSAIS, the organization that created SASH Club. The SSAIS and SASH Club community is a welcoming group of advocates, academics, students, and parents where everyone can find their place, even if you come from Europe or Asia! Together people can do anything. This reminds me of the undeniable value of human connection: a warm shoulder when needed or an offer of support.
If you think every young person deserves a life free from sexual harassment, you can volunteer too. Choose your own way of making change. Whether you want to write, create videos, start a SASH Club, connect with youth—you can bring your creative ideas to SSAIS and SASH Club. It is certain: You will gain many insights while educating yourself and others. You will find a community of like-minded people and learn valuable life lessons.
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Tanya’s videos have appeared in American Federation of Teachers virtual conferences (SASH Club: A Peer-Education Approach to Addressing Sexual Harassment and Assault in Schools and Addressing the Rise and Impact of Misogyny Among Students in Grades 6-12), where they were seen by hundreds of registrants from around the world, and referenced in several online articles.
Watch Tanya’s reels on SASH Club’s YouTube channel.
Contact SASH Club to volunteer.
SASH Club: Shifting School Culture to Combat Sexual Harassment
Why we started a SASH Club
Jane: Last year in 8th grade I was sexually assaulted in the classroom by a peer at my middle school. After I reported it, the blowback I received from peers and adults made me realize how important it is to educate people about these issues. If my peers had understood the definition of sexual assault, the “freeze” response, and how to respond to survivors, this would have buffered the trauma. Instead, my trauma was both invalidated and exacerbated.
Daniel: These issues were important to our family even before this happened to Jane. We want to give all students and adults this knowledge so that together we can shift the culture in our community and hopefully in society. Luckily, at our public high school we are able to work towards these goals with strong support so far.
How we started a SASH Club
Jane: Last year, my parents and I used the Stop Sexual Assault in Schools website as a resource. When we saw the national SASH club on the SSAIS website, we knew we wanted to start one at Jordan High School. I am a freshman this year and was a little nervous about starting a club, so it was great that my brother, a senior, offered to help.
Daniel: It was easy because the SASH Club website provided everything we needed to get started. We downloaded the How to Start a SASH Club Guide and used the template for writing an email to the principal in early August. Principal Taylor wrote back to confirm her support for the club and directed us to find an advisor and register the club with our assistant principal.
Jane: Our counselor suggested that we ask Ms. Beaudry to advise the club. Ms. Beaudry teaches social studies, including Women + Gender Studies. She is involved in school equity teamwork and co-leads the Spectrum GSA club. It seemed she’d be a great fit. We emailed her and received an enthusiastic response within minutes of pressing send. We met with her the week before school started. This is when I started to get really excited about the possibilities because our faculty advisor is knowledgeable and supportive–and already working in this space.
Daniel: Our faculty advisor helped us reserve a table at the activities fair and complete the forms we needed to register the club.
How we recruit members
Jane: We set up a table at the activity fair at our school’s open house in August. We told our friends, posted on our personal social media, and created an Instagram page. We followed all the clubs and sports organizations at our school on Instagram and they followed us back. Follow us @jhs_sashclub!
Daniel: Our parents shared with other parents on social media. At our first meeting we had about ten people show up. We walked around with fliers and donuts to tell people about our club. We also put catchy ads in the school announcements and talked to a writer from our student newspaper about the club. We posted flyers at school and reminders on social media. Within a few weeks we already had 20 attendees!
Our accomplishments in the early weeks of Jordan High School SASH Club
Daniel: We have recruited about two dozen members and raised awareness about the club. We have officers, a social media team, and a recruiting committee. I’m especially excited about the research and evaluation committee which will identify issues that Jordan students are most concerned about. It will work to evaluate the impact the club may have on the school climate. And Jane has done a great job establishing connections and partnerships.
Jane: I am really proud of the connections we have already made within the school, in the larger Durham community, and with the national SASH Club creator, Stop Sexual Assault in Schools. It is heartening to see so many people willing to support our efforts.
Logistical issues we faced starting a new club
Jane: We wondered how to reach students. Our school uses Instagram as an important way of communicating events and happenings around campus. We also use our club’s Instagram to recruit members, remind students of meeting times/locations, and post graphics to spread awareness and educate.
Daniel: The meeting time was an issue. Before school is a great time except that students who ride buses can’t get there in time. After school students also need transportation and athletes have practices or games. We chose to meet weekly before school. We created a Canvas page through the school to post announcements, notes from meetings, updates, sign-ups, and resources that any student can ask to access. We can also make school-wide announcements via this page.
Jane: Another challenge is creating school-wide educational programming for almost 2000 students. We are strategizing with Durham Crisis Response Center, our principal, and counselors to deliver presentations designed for smaller groups.
Other challenges we faced
Daniel: Initially we didn’t have many guys involved in the club, but after targeted recruiting efforts, males already make up about 20% of our members. We are trying to engage more young men through word of mouth and connecting with our athletic teams. We also hosted a booth with a tug-of-war game at our school’s homecoming festival, which attracted students of all genders to our booth, and some of the guys signed up for the club.
Jane: To be honest, there have been some negative responses to the club, including comments ranging from inappropriate to offensive to downright dangerous. This underscores the need for the club and the importance of educating students about language and behaviors which constitute sexual harassment or assault. Although these behaviors occur in the hallways and classrooms each day, they are largely ignored despite the harm they inflict. Overall, though, the response to our club has been overwhelmingly positive, which is very exciting for us. I am grateful to attend a school that supports the club’s efforts from administration to most of the students.
What is in store for the club this year
Daniel: Club members have offered several ideas. The SASH Club website and the SASH Club Power Topics are have also helped generate ideas.
Jane: Some of our upcoming events and future plans include:
- A booth at our school’s homecoming festival
- Guest speaker on intersectionality and sexual harassment, co-sponsored by other student clubs (Black Student Union, Asian Alliance, Spectrum Gay Straight Alliance)
- Sexual harassment educational/prevention programming with a local crisis response center
- Movie nights with other clubs
- Club field trip to the courthouse to visit the Special Victims Unit
- Supply drive for Durham Crisis Response Centers
- Educational programming geared towards athletes
- Consent Awareness Week
- Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month activities – February
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month activities – April
- Child Abuse Prevention Month activities – April
We encourage others to start their own SASH Club!
Jane: Start your own SASH Club to create a space to make friends while working together to end sexual assault and harassment. You can start a club at school, in your community, or virtually. Anyone can download materials about how to start a SASH Club, and there are resources on sashclub.org to help your club learn about important topics. Check out the Power Topics to educate yourself and others!
If you want to contact our club for information or support, please email or DM us on Instagram at @jhs_sashclub.
Jordan High School SASH Club Update
My name is Rose Golonka and I’m the secretary of the Charles E. Jordan High School SASH Club, which was founded by my older brother and sister in 2022. Our club would like to share some of the accomplishments and events we have had this year, as well as ones we plan to have in the future!
Power Topics
We have used the National SASH Club Power Topics as resources to empower our members with information on how they can enforce their boundaries, help survivors, and shift the culture in our school. During our weekly meetings, we review Power Topics such as boundaries and consent and Title IX. Hopefully we’ll be able to branch outside of the club and educate even more students later in the year!
Title IX
This past summer, our founder and co-president Jane Golonka attended Girls Learn International Summer Activist Training Camp, and she selected Title IX awareness as her focus. Title IX is a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government. It’s incredibly important to SASH Club that students remain informed about their rights and aware of changes to Title IX that may affect them and others, specifically girls and other gender minority students.
Raising money for community crisis center
Our SASH Club hosted a booth at our school’s fall market. We had a pop-up thrift store, which was possible thanks to those who donated clothes. It was a hit and we raised over $300 dollars! All of the money we raised was donated to Durham Crisis Response Center (DCRC), which provides free and confidential services to survivors including emergency shelter, crisis interventions, legal advocacy, counseling referrals, and support groups to community members in need. The organization’s Rape Prevention Education Coordinator will be joining us at an upcoming meeting to discuss best practices for prevention and education efforts.
Valentine-making event for Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month
On Tuesday, February 11th, SASH Club hosted a Valentine’s Day event full of confections, crafts, and community! We had an amazing turnout and spent the whole morning making cards for loved ones, along with signs in relation to teen dating violence prevention month. It was a great time and an amazing way for our club to spread the message “Love Shouldn’t Hurt!”
Planning Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is sexual assault awareness month, and SASH Club has big plans! We hope to set up a Denim Day, where students wear denim to combat victim blaming and educate others about sexual violence. We have members writing articles to raise awareness in the school newspaper (Falcon Post), and possible speakers coming in to discuss the topic with students. We will be working to raise awareness one student at a time!
Stay tuned for more updates!
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Contact SASH Club to volunteer.
