Slippery Rock University has put the It's On Us grant from the state to good use by educating students on healthy relationships and how to prevent sexual assault.

The It's On Us grant was awarded to 42 schools in January, and seeks to increase awareness, prevention and proactive strategies for combating sexual assault on college campuses.

Karla Fonner, dean of students at SRU, said this is not the institution's first time applying for the grant.

“We've been awarded the grant a couple of different times,” Fonner said. “This time, we got exactly the amount we requested.”

Fonner said the institution wanted to focus on three initiatives: a program on bystanders recognizing concerning behaviors, a “flip the script” program that teaches students to take responsibility in relationships, and the collection of data to identify barriers or gaps in these services.

“This is an education outreach on campus to enhance what we're already doing,” Fonner said. “We're training students on how to deliver this program.”

According to Fonner, the program teaches students that the recognition of concerning behaviors is structured to help them and their friends intervene in potentially dangerous social situations.

“The students teach their peers how to be the one who steps in and intervenes before a situation gets to place where sexual assault could occur,” Fonner said.

As a whole, the grant aims to decrease interpersonal violence on campus, Fonner said. Funds also have gone toward the use of strength-finder tests to provide information on what positive attributes students can bring to relationships.

The grant will expire May 31. Fonner said SRU will apply for the grant again with a new objective and goal when the time comes.

Fonner said the programs the grant supplements increase the health of the campus community.

“This grant opens up opportunities to have a dialogue about healthy relationships,” Fonner said. “It helps us get our hands on materials for rich conversations with students and have a healthier campus community.”