For the sixth consecutive year, Holy Family University has been awarded the It’s On Us PA grant. The Pennsylvania Governor’s Office announced on Jan. 10 that Holy Family University is among the 39 Pennsylvania institutions of higher education that will receive grants to combat sexual violence on campus.

The University will be awarded $40,000 that will provide funding to implement strategies on campuses to address the goals of the Governor’s It’s On Us PA campaign and to continue to support campus safety. This year, Niche, an online resource that ranks schools and colleges, named Holy Family University as the Safest College in Philadelphia, reflecting the University’s commitment to the safety of its campus community.

“We are grateful to the Governor’s office for awarding Holy Family University an It’s On Us PA grant for the sixth consecutive year,” said Anne Prisco, President of Holy Family University.

“This funding is crucial to supporting our programs that help our students learn about protecting themselves and others from sex- and gender-based violence. Through these vital resources and conversations, our students, faculty, and staff are better prepared to protect our community.” 

“The services, outreach, and education our Title IX Office has been able to do over the years has been directly correlated with It’s on Us Grant funding,” said Marianne Price, Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator at Holy Family University.

“We’re excited to once again have an opportunity to build upon our Title IX programs, increase our capacities, and engage with our community in meaningful ways. Our goal is simple – engage our entire campus community in the conversation around sexual violence. We want our students, faculty, and staff to know how to recognize instances of sexual violence.”

Since 2018, Holy Family University has been able to host more than 30 education-based programs and workshops, engaging new and returning campus community members in each new academic year. Through this support, the institution has also been able to provide annual training to its employees and students since 2019 through robust online modules, equipping the entire campus community with the tools to recognize, respond to, and report instances of sex- and gender-based violence.

With this grant, Holy Family has received more than $200,000 from It’s On Us PA over six years to support initiatives to combat sexual violence on campus.

Funding from previous It’s On Us PA grants has enabled Holy Family to create the Tigers that ROAR (Reach Out and Recognize, Respond, Report) campaign; build on-campus and online training opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; bring nationally recognized speakers to campus to talk about consent, healthy relationships, and trauma-informed practices; establish an online reporting system; and review the strategic vision and mission of the Title IX Office.

The previous grants have also supported the University’s annual Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign in April.

Learn more about the grant at Holy Family University.