What is SAPE?
The Sexual Assault Peer Education (SAPE) program provides an opportunity for students to play a meaningful role in moving Brown towards a culture of consent.

Working with BWell Health Promotion, SAPE is one of the prominent programs on Brown’s campus working to educate the community on sexual, relationship, and gender-based harm and to support efforts for prevention and individual and community healing. SAPE Peer Educators co-facilitate workshops and engage in outreach work in the broader campus community.
This group is open to all students, of all identities and experiences.  

There are many communities whose voices have been historically left out of these violence prevention spaces and conversations (for example, people with disabilities, people of color (POC), and people who identify as LGBTQIA+).  We seek to lift up and center the voices of those most impacted.

What does SAPE teach?
Our curriculum was designed for Brown through the collaboration of students and staff, and primarily written by student authors. The curriculum aims to focus on:
understanding systems of oppression and how they relate to sexual and gender-based violence,
to learn the foundational elements of consent and how to support those who have experienced harm, and
to provide information and inspiration to dismantle harmful cultural norms and create community-based plans for care, action, and change.

Rather than prescribing how students should think and act, workshops make space for each individual group to develop sustainable plans to create change and recognize harm in its many manifestations.

Is there training?
Yes! We will host a retreat-style workshop in the Spring to train all new members on the curriculum and will invite all new members to a BWell Peer Educator training on theory, skill building, and community care across the peer ed programs.

While facilitation experience and/or previous knowledge about sexual, relationship, and gender-based violence are beneficial, there are no prerequisites for joining SAPE. We will consider all applicants and offer training and support to build the necessary knowledge base and skill set to do this work effectively.

Safety & Care
Safety and self-care are major aspects of this program.  Because this is a difficult topic to work on, we will help support you to care of yourself. Trainings, meetings, and opportunities for professional development are designed to provide support for all peer educators.

When does the group meet?
The group generally meets twice a month for allSAPE meetings.  Meeting day/time TBD. Lunch is provided.
Members also meet once a month in smaller mentorship pods, day/time TBD.

Attendance at these meetings, while not mandatory, is strongly encouraged as it helps everyone to stay on the same page, support each other, and do our best work.

Additionally, we also hold various opportunities for professional development, additional skill and knowledge acquisition, and community-building throughout the year.



How do I join?
SAPE is always looking for a diverse group of people to serve as members. To officially join, we ask that you complete this short application before OCTOBER 31, attend subsequent interviews, and attend the Spring training session (dates TBD).

Please contact SAPE@brown.edu with any questions!  Thank you so much!