What is the Stepping UP program?

Stepping Up is a relationship violence prevention program intended to teach the MRU campus community about engaging in healthy relationships and recognizing the signs of unhealthy and abusive relationships. Mount Royal University recognizes the impact of gender-based violence on  the campus community and as a result has established the Stepping Up program.

 “Campus sexual violence (CSV) robs students of an environment to safely and confidently pursue educational endeavours and enriching experiences. Many survivors have to contend with the unacceptable disruption it causes, in addition to the adverse impact on their academic performance and physical and mental well-being. While experiences of sexual violence happen at an individual level, the problem is systemic.”

Council of Alberta University Students (2020)

Stepping Up uses peer-to-peer facilitation to connect students through a learning experience. Through the program, they explore topics of healthy relationships, unhealthy relationships, abuse, media, and sexual violence. As a participant, students are given a safe environment to increase their education on relationship violence by engaging in discourse with their peers through meaningful workshops. As a peer facilitator, Stepping Up, provides the opportunity for students to be actively engaged in the advocacy against gender-based violence.

 

Sign up to take part in the 2023/24 Stepping UP Workshop Series!

This workshop will be where you can expect to learn about how to have healthy relationships, how the media influences perceptions on gender, how to intervene when you are a bystander, and what healthy sexual relationships look like!  

This workshop will take place in the Lincoln Park Room (J301) from 4:30pm-7:30pm on Wednesday, February 7th and 14th, 2024. Dinner is provided for both evenings, and two tickets to 'skip the line' at Sex Toy Bingo on February 15th will be given away to one of the workshop participants! 

There is a research component of the Stepping UP Program and it has received clearance from the MRU Human Research Ethics Board (HREB) at hreb@mtroyal.ca. Students may choose to participate in the program without participating in the research component.

MRU Researchers:
Dr. Gaye Warthe 403-440-6441 or gwarthe@mtroyal.ca
Dr. Cathy Carter-Snell 403-440-6679 or ccartersnell@mtroyal.ca 

Sign up for the Stepping UP Workshop by scanning the QR code above, or click here!

We are so excited to see you!