Campus Life

Greeks CARE finishes third year working to combat sexual violence

This year over 300 students participated in the Greeks CARE program, which aims to combat sexual violence.  Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Over the course of three years, Greeks CARE has given hundreds of Penn State fraternity and sorority members the tools to examine their roles in preventing sexual violence. This year, over 300 students participated in the program.

Greeks CARE is a collaboration between the Gender Equity Center and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, both units of Penn State Student Affairs. The offices work with the Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils to recruit members for the program, which has doubled in size this semester. Participating chapters send eight members to the six-week, one-hour-long sessions facilitated by undergraduate students (past participants of the program) trained by Gender Equity Center staff. Throughout the program, participants discuss supporting survivors; trends in sexual violence and the relationship between alcohol and consent; bystander intervention; culture change in Greek life; and how to get involved in prevention efforts. 

“Greeks CARE has given me hope for a brighter future, as the program is comprised of Greeks who want to promote positive change,” said Daniel Klapper, Greeks CARE facilitator and member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. “As a former Greeks CARE participant said, ‘in order to solve the problem, we have to first acknowledge there is one.’ More and more Greek organizations join the program each semester, showing how they want to end sexual assault on campus.”

Chapters that completed the program this year include: Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Phi Delta, Alpha Tau Omega, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Phi, Delta Gamma, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Omega Phi Alpha, Phi Gamma Delta, Phi Kappa Theta, Phi Sigma Kappa, Phi Sigma Rho, Phi Sigma Phi, Pi Beta Phi, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Theta Delta Chi, Zeta Beta Tau and Zeta Tau Alpha.

“Greeks CARE is an important program because it addresses and facilitates discussion around a prominent issue on our campus, said Alyssa Salley, Greeks CARE facilitator and a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. “Through being led by students who are passionate about this topic, Greeks CARE shows that we as students can be educated on the culture around us and proactively work together to implement a positive change.”

Last Updated June 2, 2021