At LLCC, we firmly believe that education is a powerful tool. We have partnered with EVERFI to provide all LLCC students access to an incredibly informative online training, "Sexual Assault Prevention for Community Colleges." This training covers a variety of topics such as definitions of different forms of sexual and relationship violence, tips on how to recognize "red flags" and intervene as a bystander, information about your rights under federal and state law, and much more.

To take this course, look in your LLCC email account for an email with the subject line "Online Course Assigned to You by LLCC." Follow the instructions in the email to access your courses. If you can't find this email, email Shelley Vaughan. Complete the course at your own pace. If you need to take a break, your progress in the course will be saved — just don't forget to come back and complete the course later! Log in to your EVERFI account.

Course Information

• You will need internet access and audio capabilities.
• To avoid technical issues, use any major web browser (e.g. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome) released within the previous two years.
• You may take the course in multiple sittings. Start and stop whenever works for you, and pick it back up when you're ready!
• The course includes surveys to help personalize your experience and measure participants' attitudes and behaviors. All survey responses are confidential; the school will only receive information about the participant group as a while and will never see individual answers.
• Should you experience problems, technical support is available 24/7 and can be accessed from the "Help" link within the course.

LLCC's Compliance and Prevention office organizes events in connection with sexual violence awareness months and initiatives. The events focus on increasing awareness, connecting the LLCC Community with resources and dispelling common myths about the different types of sexual violence.

LLCC's Bystander Intervention Training is available upon request for any LLCC group, organization or class. The training focuses on teaching individuals about their role in preventing sexual violence. Discussing the prevalence of sexual violence, the bystander effect and safe methods of intervention in emergent and non-emergent situations, the training prepares individuals of all knowledge levels to play a part in preventing sexual violence.

For questions or to schedule a training, contact Shelley Vaughan, compliance and prevention coordinator, or cal 217-786-3682.

Students at Lincoln Land Community College have the opportunity to take courses that can help improve their understanding of gender, sexuality, sexism, culture and social justice. Choosing courses that discuss these topics can help students deconstruct and understand these complex topics. If you are interested in furthering your knowledge in this area, your student success advisor can help you find appropriate classes for your field of study and interests.

Having discussions about gender, discrimination or violence can help individuals learn different perspectives, discover new facts and generally evolve as an informed citizen. Discussions specifically about sexual violence can help bring much-needed awareness of the signs, effects and prevalence of the crime.

Being involved in a group or organization that shares your interest in social justice issues is an excellent way to make connections, advance your knowledge and grow as an academic and citizen with like-minded individuals. Remembering that many social justice issues are interconnected and influence one another, consider joining an organization that focuses on social justice related issues (and if there isn't one that interests you, consider starting your own). More information about clubs and organizations, as well as the events they organize, can be found through the Student Life Office.

One of the most powerful things we can do to support survivors is volunteer at local agencies that provide assistance to survivors and/or educate the community. Volunteering is a great way to make an immediate and direct impact. Sexual violence resource agencies often rely on volunteers for a wide range of tasks. There are all types of ways you can volunteer in your community. Local shelters, coalitions and organizations often encourage volunteers to let them know what special skills or knowledge you have to offer, and many centers will often provide training to equip volunteers with the information and skills necessary to be an effective volunteer at their center. To make an immediate and direct impact, consider volunteering your time and skills at one of the following centers:

1. Sojourn Shelter and Services offers different volunteer opportunities and ways you can help your community.
2. Prairie Center Against Sexual Assault (PCASA) offers several events and activities throughout the year you can volunteer at, or you can get training and become a volunteer at the center.

The Peer Educator program at LLCC provides students who are eligible for Federal Work Study with the opportunity to help develop materials and implement programs focusing on sexual violence prevention on campus. Additionally, Peer Educators are encouraged to further their knowledge of sexual violence prevention through independent research guided by LLCC's Compliance and Prevention Coordinator.

Our Peer Educators strive to educate the campus community about sexual violence. To achieve that goal, we encourage the campus community to interact with our Peer Educators by asking questions, having discussions, and considering allowing a Peer Educator to conduct an activity or training for you and your peers. Peer Educators can conduct LLCC's Bystander Intervention Training for campus clubs or classes, and encourage the campus community to approach them with thoughts or ideas on programming.

A crucial aspect of being well-informed about sexual violence is to do independent research about the topic. Taking the time to look up terms you don't understand, read articles from reliable sources and explore the missions and work of activist organizations are examples of ways you can expand your knowledge base through independent research. Making sure you're getting well-rounded, research-based information is also important. Ask yourself questions as you read to determine the validity of the source: Is the information being presented to you an opinion, or a fact? Is the source biased in any way? Is the source using any victim-blaming language?

One way to incorporate independent research into your routine is to "like" or "follow" related groups or organizations on your social media accounts. Many nonprofits working to educate the public about sexual violence post important information, new research, and updates on their social media sites, so following them can introduce that information into your normal routine.

Being informed about current issues, discussions, and legislation surrounding the topic will help you in your commitment to helping to end sexual violence and support survivors. The information you gather while researching will be helpful when you are discussing the topic, providing assistance to someone affected by sexual violence, or educating others on the topic. Additionally, familiarizing yourself with the topic can help you be a more active and effective bystander.