/ Equity and Compliance

STEP

Students Teaching and Empowering Peers is a group of Hope College students that wish toeducate,empowerandencouragemembers of the campus community.

  • Educateand inform other students about forms of interpersonal violence (i.e. sexual assault, violence in relationships, harassment and stalking)
  • Empowerthose impacted by interpersonal violence to seek resources and support
  • Encouragemembers of the campus to be active bystanders

It is the vision of STEP to have a campus free from interpersonal violence. A campus where every member feels safe and respected, where every member is knowledgeable about how to handle a situation should one arise, and where every member knows that there are resources available to help process a situation that was experienced or witnessed by that student.

STEP capitalizes on the extensive research indicating that peers are the single most potent source of influence on undergraduate student affective and cognitive growth and development during college.

STEP Educators use this influence to facilitate interactive workshops that are designed to:

  1. Create an awareness of the definition and dynamics of sexual assault and relationship violence
  2. Encourage healthy relationships
  3. Promote becoming an active bystander
  4. Provide tools students can use to establish an intolerance of sexual assault, relationships violence and stalking on campus.

STEP educators also assist with the planning of a variety of campus-wide events.