Knox College recently received a $10,000 grant from the Avon Foundation for Women through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence initiative.

The grant will support expansion of Knox's Dare to Care educational program, which includes active bystander training and other ways of working to prevent sexual assault and dating abuse. It will fund:

• An enhanced communications campaign,
• Efforts to increase awareness and access to programming, and
• Development of a group of trained peer educators who will play a key role in continuing to build a campus culture of respect.

"We are pleased to receive this grant in support of our ongoing primary prevention and awareness education to promote a culture of respect where we do everything we can to prevent assault on our campus and support those in need," said Kim Schrader, Title IX coordinator at Knox College.

"These funds will help support the College's commitment to engage in rigorous and informed community education, as well as our work to provide positive support for survivors, provide clear policies and procedures, cultivate open and effective communication, and form mobilized partnerships with student organizations," she added.

This is the first year that Knox College has received funding from the Avon Foundation for Women.

The grant to Knox is one of 25 Avon campus grants, totaling $250,000, awarded to colleges across the country to fund programs that focus on preventing sexual assault and dating abuse and on promoting healthy relationships. Avon grants also offer local resources and provide referrals for community-based domestic violence experts, and they fund educator training, materials, and support sessions about healthy relationships.

Since its inception in 1955, the Avon Foundation has promoted or aided charitable, scientific, educational, and humanitarian activities, with a special emphasis on activities that improve the lives of women and their families. Through 2014, Avon global philanthropy, led by the Avon Foundation, has contributed nearly $1 billion in over 50 countries. Today, Avon philanthropy focuses on funding breast cancer research and advancing access to quality care through the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, and efforts to reduce domestic and gender violence through its Speak Out Against Domestic Violence program. More information is available at www.avonfoundation.org.

For more information on Dare to Care at Knox College, please contact Title IX Coordinator Kim Schrader at 309-341-7751 or kschrade@knox.edu or e-mail daretocare@knox.edu. For more information about the College's resources, policies, and procedures, please visit www.knox.edu/respect. We are on Twitter @KnoxDareToCare and our Facebook community page is Knox Dare To Care.

For more information about relationship abuse, please visit www.breakthecycle.org. To receive immediate help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the National Dating Abuse Helpline 1-866-331-9474.