Millwood High School will deliver sexual violence prevention training to faculty and students with grant funding from the province’s Sexual Violence Strategy.

Stephen Gough, MLA Sackville-Beaver Bank, on behalf of Community Services Minister Joanne Bernard, today, April 25, announced the $4,000 Prevention Innovation Grant.

“Preventing sexual violence begins with educating our young people,” said Mr. Gough. “I am thrilled that Millwood High School is taking the initiative to ensure that sexual violence is addressed through education and brought out into the open. It is critical that we talk about this issue openly in order to find solutions.”

Grant funding will allow staff and Grade 12 students at Millwood High School to attend the Bringing in the Bystander training, a program that teaches tools on how to intervene in situations that could lead to or that directly involve sexual violence. It helps participants recognize inappropriate behavior and helps to foster a sense of responsibility for making change.

“As students, we have the ability to create fundamental shifts in attitudes, beliefs and behaviour around sexual violence,” said Nik Sutherland, a Grade 11 student at Millwood High School and chair of the U-Knighted for Health committee. “Preventing sexual violence promotes the safety and well-being of all students, now and in the future.”

The grants are a commitment under government’s Sexual Violence Strategy. An additional $600,000 for these one-time grants will be made available again in the fall, for a total investment of more than $1.2 million over two years.

The grants support community groups and organizations, including youth and underserved populations such as African Nova Scotians, First Nations, and the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community, to reach out to their peers and help put creative prevention initiatives into practice.

Nearly 100 applications were received from across the province. The names of other communities and organizations receiving grants will be announced soon.

Source: Release