St. Cloud, Minn. (May 10, 2017) — “I’m With You: Empowering Young Asian American Women to Stop Sexual Violence” teen retreat, a project funded through a U.S. Department of State grant and administered by World Learning Inc., will educate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) girls ages 14-18 years old on sexual health, sexual violence, and leadership development at the Women’s Center on campus at Saint Cloud State University on June 23-25, 2017.
A fall 2015 survey on sexual assault by the St. Cloud chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) conducted on SCSU campus indicates 40 percent of female respondents have experienced some form of sexual violence; of those respondents, 100 percent who identified as AAPI women believed their experiences were based on their racial identity, as opposed to 0 percent of their white counterparts. The data suggests a need for more programs that address sexual violence at the intersection of racial and gender identity; however, AAPI communities usually do not address topics such as sexual violence, let alone sexual health.
“The numbers are shocking, but I’m not surprised,” said Amy Tran, the lead organizer for the retreat. “I’m glad we have this opportunity to address these issues in the community.”
The teen retreat aims to fill this need in central MN by providing a safe space for AAPI teenagers to address not only sexual health, sexual and domestic violence, and racial and gender stereotypes, but also develop their leadership skills in order to create change and awareness in their communities. The retreat will feature facilitators from the Asian American community, the Sex Trafficking Services of the Central MN Sexual Assault Center and Planned Parenthood of Minnesota in partnership with Girl Scouts River Valleys Minnesota & Wisconsin. There is no cost associated with the retreat, but registration is required. If you would like to get involved with the teen retreat, please connect with Amy Tran at [email protected]. To register an AAPI teen, please go to this link: https://goo.gl/forms/DXgmffAL4RTRQqoj2.
This project is made possible in-part through a follow on grant from the U.S. Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminars (TIES). Alumni TIES are regionally-focused seminars which provide alumni of U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs with opportunities to learn about key regional issues, receive training, and collaborate with fellow alumni to implement community projects in their home communities upon their return and is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). ECA builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programs. These exchange programs improve foreign relations and strengthen the national security of the United States, support U.S. international leadership, and provide a broad range of domestic benefits by helping break down barriers that often divide us. Visit eca.state.gov.
Through the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF), regional enrichment seminars, and social media engagement, the Alumni Affairs team provides opportunities for alumni to collaborate, grow, and share their success.
