We work to actively challenge systems of power, privilege and oppression, the root causes of violence. We are committed to creating a more just world.

Our focus is on developing materials and resources that centralize the voices and experiences of marginalized communities.

We are dedicated to creating a world that listens to, believes, and supports survivors of all gender identities.

We strive to create welcoming learning environments. In our trainings, we use every day language to connect with and engage people.

This movement is for people of all ages but we believe young people can play a powerful role in creating new norms for our future generations.

We listen to the issues that are important to our communities and tailor our content to reach a diversity of young people.

Our strategies are firmly rooted in the evidence-based principles of behavioral science. To create lasting culture change, we need to go beyond raising awareness. We need to implement strategies that will move our communities to action and result in meaningful behavior change. Therefore, we work with our community partners to identify strategies that will increase self-efficacy, build social support systems, and foster positive self-identification in their communities.

An individual's life is profoundly impacted by the relationships they form, the communities they’re a part of, the institutions they interact with, the policies that shape their environment, and broader societal norms. As such, we work to equip programs with the tools to create new, positive peer, community, and institutional norms that will support culture change.

We encourage programs to think about how they can strengthen individual knowledge and skills while also building coalitions, engaging in community education and establishing new group and institutional norms.

We work with our partners to utilize this theory to effectively launch new campus or community wide initiatives. This theory offers a valuable framework for understanding how culture change occurs and emphasizes the importance of reaching out to the early adopters/influential members of the community.

BOARD MEMBER: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Esmy is a first-generation Latinx/Chicanx individual born and raised in Bakersfield, CA. They received their bachelor’s degree in Cellular Molecular Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt and their Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in health, equity, and wellness from Denver University. In their free time, Esmy loves to learn about spiritual healing methods as well as different ways to provide medical advocacy to POC communities. Their mission is to bring healing to those who have experienced violence and show that there is a community making cultural change.

ARTIST & RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Shelley is a nonbinary Chicanx individual born and raised in Los Angeles County, California on the Kizh and Tongva ancestral homeland. They graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt with a B.A. in Psychology. They are a multimedia artist, passionate about intersectional sexual violence prevention, and love using their creativity to develop resources that spark discussion. They believe empowering communities to challenge violence they witness and create spaces of safety is instrumental in breaking down the structures in society that reinforce violence against BIPOC worldwide.

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mary Sue is a Queer East Bay resident. She has over a decade of experience in the sexual violence prevention field. She designed and implemented CHECK IT, a nationally recognized bystander intervention and peer education program at Cal Poly Humboldt. She co-directed one of the first college sexual violence prevention living-learning communities in the U.S. Mary Sue was awarded the Violence Prevention Championship Award by the CSU ATOD Conference and the Lifelong Achievement Award by the Humboldt Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. She holds an MSW and B.A. in Women’s Studies and Ethnic Studies.

BOARD MEMBER: COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Adrienne is a first-generation Southeast Asian American. She was born and raised in San Diego, located on the ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation. Growing up, her mother instilled a value that became the hallmark of her ambition, and that is to uplift and support people from all walks of life. Adrienne’s dream role is to become a clinical mental health counselor. At Cal Poly Humboldt, she joined CHECK IT and the MultiCultural Center. There she was further inspired to challenge systemic violence, specifically racist policies. Adrienne cares about creating a culture rooted in inclusivity, consent, and radical love. She holds a B.A in Psychology.

BOARD MEMBER: DATA & EVALUATION

Tatiana grew up in a small desert town in Southern California and has a large and diverse family. Her family values community. She is a crafter and an engineer who thrives on making things and tackling tough problems. Tatiana believes compassion should permeate all we do and our relationships with others are the most meaningful things we create. She is committed to impacting lasting positive change and encouraging those who want to learn more about the movement and help their communities. She currently works as a Physical Scientist and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Resources Engineering .

BOARD MEMBER: RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Skye is an ace Filipina who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Sacramento, CA. They like spending time with their siblings, getting ‘the pump’ at the gym, and dabbling in tarot card readings. Skye received their B.A. in Social Work at Cal Poly Humboldt where their discovery of CHECK IT, a sexual violence prevention program, led to a passionate involvement in violence prevention. Skye believes that conscious education plays an important role in creating a consent-centered world and violence-free future. They are particularly interested in developing curriculum that can teach self-love, healthy relationships, and survivor support in inviting ways.

BOARD MEMBER: DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION

Melanie is a Chinese American and grew up in San Francisco, CA. She has a variety of interests and tends to dive deep into those interests by way of research and practice. Because of this she tries things in order to come to her own conclusions. She readily pivots into a different direction if something isn’t working and is creative when problem solving. She is committed to a career path that ultimately helps people. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology (Ecology concentration) from Cal Poly Humboldt, and enjoys interdisciplinary subjects.

BOARD MEMBER: RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Giselle is a Chicanx/Latinx queer individual who was born and raised in North East Los Angeles. She earned her B.A in Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality studies from Cal Poly Humboldt. At Humboldt, she joined the bystander intervention program, CHECK IT. Working at CHECK IT helped spark her passion to end sexual violence and she is eager to continue her work at RVCC. A few of her other passions include restorative justice and prison abolition. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her community, having conversations about astrology, reading, journaling and watching sunsets.