From bathroom stall posters to coffee sleeves about consent, Pitt is expanding its approach to sexual assault prevention after receiving over $43,000 in state funding. 

Pitt recently received a $43,725 It’s On Us state grant to broaden sexual assault prevention initiatives on campus. The Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office will be utilizing the money to support existing initiatives and start new ones. 

Created under the Obama administration, the national It’s On Us campaign is the country’s largest nonproft dedicated to college sexual assault prevention. Over $1.7 million has been awarded to institutions across Pennsylvania in 2026. 

Carrie Benson, the director of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office, said the grant will start in June. Much of the funding will go toward scaling up programs already in place at Pitt, particularly those designed to reach students outside traditional events or workshops, according to Benson. 

One existing initiative is the “Help Is Available” campaign, which places informational posters in bathroom stalls across campus. The posters provide guidance on reporting sexual misconduct, accessing resources and seeking help. Benson said the campaign was originally developed through student focus groups to better understand barriers to reporting and awareness.

“We really wanted students to be able to engage with that material when they were alone,” Benson said. “Whether it’s taking a picture of it or just reading it, it gives them privacy to take in that information.”

Another area of planned growth is a partnership with campus Saxby’s locations that distributes coffee sleeves printed with messaging about consent and healthy relationships. A previous rollout in November 2025 lasted shorter than expected due to high demand for coffee, prompting plans for a larger, month-long campaign.

“It depends on how much coffee everyone is drinking on campus, but [one month] is our hope,” Benson said. “[We’re] really working to get that messaging out to everyone on campus, but also really connecting with people who may not necessarily come to prevention related events.”

The grant will also fund existing weekly walk-in hours with Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, where trained advocates provide confidential support to students, faculty and staff. These sessions offer assistance to survivors, as well as guidance for those supporting someone affected by sexual violence, according to Benson. 

Additionally, Pitt will expand its collaboration with SetPoint, a Pittsburgh-based organization that teaches empowerment-based self defense, according to Benson. The program emphasizes boundary-setting, bystander intervention and survivor support alongside physical techniques.

“SetPoint does self defense in a really impressive, best practices driven, research-oriented, really grounded in research way,” Benson said. 

The grant will fund two new initiatives, according to Willa Campbell, the lead prevention educator. 

Campbell said the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Office plans to host comprehensive sex education sessions. The four drop-in sessions covering topics students may not have previously learned or want to revisit in a more inclusive setting.

“We know that students have varying levels of education around sex ed,” Campbell said. “We want to make sure that we’re talking about it in a comprehensive and inclusive way.”

The second initiative will target outreach to male-identifying students, according to Campbell. This involves focus groups to better understand how to engage them in prevention efforts and improve access to resources.

“We know that, traditionally, prevention spaces may not feel as comfortable to our male population,” Campbell said. “We want to create programming that they want to come to and engage with.”

Beyond the grant-funded initiatives, the office is continuing to plan events for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, including a community picnic and tree dedication ceremony honoring survivors.

Benson said the grant represents both an opportunity to expand current efforts and a foundation for future work.

“We’re always thinking about what’s next,” Benson said. “There’s always more work to be done.”