Photo: A Maryland Carey Law student leads students at John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School in a restorative justice circle.
A $500,000 grant from the State of Maryland will expand an innovative sexual violence prevention program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) with the power of photography, empowering more middle school-aged youth to combat destructive ideas that lead to sexual violence.
The funding will support the Erin Levitas Initiative for Sexual Violence Prevention, a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and University of Maryland School of Social Work in partnership with the Erin Levitas Foundation.
Launched in 2018, the Levitas Initiative aims to prevent sexual violence among middle schoolers through its E.R.I.N. Talk curriculum which uses restorative justice principles to teach middle schoolers about healthy relationships, communication, and bystander intervention.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, the grant will enable the Levitas Initiative to expand its curriculum to additional schools and community partners, implement a new train-the-trainer model, and integrate youth perspectives using Photovoice, an innovative participatory research method. The program currently operates at John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School and City Springs Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore.
“This recognition by the Maryland General Assembly that we need to be infusing funds into early prevention work is groundbreaking," said Quince Hopkins, who leads the Levitas Initiative at Maryland Carey Law. "Most funding for sexual violence work supports efforts only after violence has occurred, and then, primarily for criminal legal system response. The amount that comes to prevention is so small in comparison.”
According to Marissa Jachman, executive director of the Levitas Foundation, the Levitas Initiative is a testament to what can be achieved when passionate organizations come together. “By combining the expertise of Maryland Carey Law and the University of Maryland School of Social Work with the support of the Erin Levitas Foundation, we're mobilizing students and scholars by engaging young people in conversations early and therefore addressing the problem of sexual violence early, before harm escalates,” she said.
Laurie Graham, assistant professor at UMB's School of Social Work, will lead the Photovoice project which will be a key component in enriching the E.R.I.N. Talk curriculum with youth perspectives.
The project will provide young people aged 11 to 14 with cameras to document their thoughts and experiences related to sexual violence prevention. The insights gathered from these Photovoice sessions will directly inform updates to the E.R.I.N. Talk curriculum. By incorporating visual elements and perspectives directly from the target age group, the program aims to become more relatable and effective for middle school-aged youth.
"We're excited that this is a really meaningful project that will collect data and information directly from and in partnership with community members and young people," Graham said. "My hope is that the findings will also shape sexual violence prevention and other violence prevention programs elsewhere moving forward."
The Levitas Initiative honors Erin Levitas, an aspiring law student and sexual assault survivor whose life was cut short by cancer. The program aims to carry on her commitment to sexual violence prevention and survivor support.