The Division of Student Affairs, and more specifically, Fraternity and Sorority Life and Health and Wellness Promotion, were recently awarded the Indiana Collegiate Action Network mini-grant. ICAN is a statewide coalition of colleges and universities working to address high-risk activities among college students, and IUPUI will use the $7,065 grant towards the “Fraternity and Sorority Leaders in Harm Reduction” project.
The grant will provide harm-reduction education to the social fraternity and sorority community at IUPUI. The education provided will ensure the FSL community is well-equipped with the best practices for social events, parties, bar culture and other high-risk situations.
“Our entire student body, especially those who interact with the thousands of public events our 25 FSL organizations host each year, will benefit from the education provided by knowing FSL groups have the tools to put on safe, fun events and know how to respond in emergency situations,” said Jayson Davis, coordinator of Fraternity and Sorority Life advising.
Davis partnered with Natalya Cox in HWP to obtain the grant over the summer. Cox wrote the proposal – her first try at such a thing – and then collaborated with Davis once the draft was finished. Cox found the application to be a bit stressful and challenging, but was thankful for help from Eric Teske, director of Health and Wellness Promotion, and Brian Starkel, associate director of Campus Center and Student Experiences.
“This was the first grant team that I have worked on,” she said. “So, to be notified that Fraternity and Sorority Life had been chosen to receive the grant was very exciting and a bit surprising to me.
With the grant secured, Cox and Davis believe the process has shown what can be achieved when units come together for a common goal. Davis is also excited about what this could lead to.
“I look forward to the education this grant will provide, and I hope this is the beginning of many more grant-funded initiatives for our community,” Davis said.
For more information on ICAN and the annual mini-grant, visit ICAN online.