Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month Recap: A Small but Mighty Team Making a Big Impact
Guest Author: Abe Rawlings, Education Director
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time when our education team steps up to raise awareness and give youth the knowledge they need to build healthy relationships. As a small but mighty team of three—myself, Emily Alarcon-Patricio, and Taylor Fuhriman covering the Tooele area—we dedicated this past month to delivering impactful workshops and navigating the challenges of getting into schools to provide this crucial education.
At first glance, delivering three workshops might not seem like a big deal. But when you consider that each of us led our own workshop on a single day, it speaks volumes about our commitment to this work. We’re not just presenting information—we’re engaging with youth in meaningful ways, making space for tough conversations, and fostering understanding around dating violence prevention.
Breaking Through Barriers in Tooele
Taylor and I have been working for months to connect with Tooele’s school district. As anyone who has worked within a school system knows, it takes time and persistence to get approval from teachers, parents, school boards, and administrators. While the journey hasn’t been without its ups and downs, Taylor demonstrated incredible tenacity by forging connections with local youth organizations. One of these key partnerships was with the Boys & Girls Club, where she provided two workshops—one for junior high students and another for high schoolers. One of these sessions counted as one of our three big workshops this month, marking a significant win in reaching more young people with our prevention message.
Furthermore, we managed to crash a district health teacher meeting and get several of them in support of involving us in directly teaching prevention curriculum to their students.
Engaging STEM Students in Salt Lake
Meanwhile, Emily and I had the opportunity to work with the Salt Lake Center for Science, a STEM-focused charter high school in the Salt Lake School District. This connection came about thanks to our ongoing relationship with their Service Class, which previously volunteered with us back in November. In return, we were invited to present a Domestic Violence 101 (DV-101) workshop in their classroom. My original plan was to guide them through a broad curriculum, but it was Emily who truly brought the content to life. She captivated the students, delivered our mission in an engaging way, and even promoted a future event with them. Watching her in action reinforced the power of passionate, interactive education.
Collaborating for Change
Our final workshop was a collaborative effort with an active coalition comprising South Valley Services, Planned Parenthood, The Rape Recovery Center, the YWCA, and the Asian Association. Together, we facilitated a bystander prevention session for a group of Granite Junior High students participating in an after-school program. As expected, the session was energetic and, at times, rowdy—but we powered through, ensuring that each student left with a better understanding of how to recognize and intervene in unhealthy relationship dynamics.
Looking Ahead: Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month may be over, but our commitment to education and prevention continues year-round. If your school, community group, or organization is interested in learning more about healthy relationships, bystander intervention, or domestic violence prevention, we’d love to connect! Reach out to schedule a presentation with our team—we’re here to keep the conversation going and to empower the next generation with the knowledge they need to create safer, healthier relationships.