Welcome Back, Cardinals!
I hope everyone had a restful, rejuvenating, and relaxing summer break! It has been a quiet summer, and it is great to see the campus bustling with a different kind of energy that comes from students, faculty, and staff all being back on campus together. This is my first “Fall Semester” at Wes, and I am looking forward to learning the rhythm and pulse of the first few weeks of the academic year.
Since I’m still in my first year at Wes, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the SACE Office. I’m Johanna DeBari, Director of the Office of Survivor Advocacy & Community Education (SACE). Although the advocacy work of supporting survivors on campus is not new to the Wesleyan community, the SACE Office is new to the institution of Wesleyan. The SACE Office is dedicated to empower survivors, and those connected to survivors, of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of interpersonal violence through survivor-centered, trauma-informed advocacy services, healing workshops and retreats, trainings, and education programs within the Wesleyan University community. For more information on advocacy services, education programs, workshops, or trainings, please see our website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/SACE.
I also want to share some of the exciting things the SACE Office has going on this month.
We are participating in the Wellness Experience, organized by WesWell, with 3 events:
- “Coffee with Johanna” session, on Tuesday, September 11th, from 11:00 am – 1 pm, at a table in Usdan Café. Come by, say hi, learn more about the SACE Office, and grab some coffee or tea!
- “Creative Journaling & Self-Care Workshop” on Thursday, September 13th, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm in Usdan 110: come to learn more about creative journaling as a tool of self-care; journals and coloring supplies provided!
- There is a Healthy Relationships Screener for folks to check the health of their relationships, whether they are platonic, romantic, sexual, or otherwise. Visit the SACE Website to take the screener to see how healthy your relationship is. If you have questions or concerns, the SACE Office is here to support you.
- For more information on the Wellness Experience Event, please visit the WesWell Website at http://www.wesleyan.edu/weswell.
I will also be holding Office Hours in Usdan, on Tuesday, September 18th from 11:30-1:30 pm in Usdan 114. If you want to stop by and learn more about the SACE Office, talk about a program you’d like to collaborate on, or just introduce yourself, please come through!
We hope to see you at one of these events and look forward to collaborating with other campus stakeholders in the future.
Have a great start of your semester and welcome back!
Take care,
Johanna
SACE Director
jdebari@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3214