This week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash was joined in studio by Marissa Jachman, Executive Director of the Erin Levitas Foundation and Ebony Battle, Intern, The Erin Levitas Initiative and Foundation, to talk about their mission-preventing sexual violence through early education, and their Sixth Annual Stroll and Roll 5K Run and Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 10th at the Camden Yards Sports Complex. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The Erin Levitas Initiative for Sexual Assault Prevention at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law uses a restorative justice framework to engage middle school students in educational activities designed to help them identify, question, and reject the destructive ideas that give rise to sexual violence. They engage in prevention through the use of their ERIN(Empathy, Respect, Integrity, No More Sexual Assault), Talk curriculum. The Erin Talk curriculum is delivered using restorative dialogue circles facilitated by trained law and social work students like Ebony Battle who is a graduate-level social work student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and a community organizer from Baltimore. Ebony talked about her role with the organization and what's it's been like delivering ERIN Talk in Baltimore City through conversations with students.
Erin Levitas was a survivor of sexual violence and her efforts to prevent sexual assault were motivated by her experience. Her goal was to go to law school to prepare for a career as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault. She had accepted a spot at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. On January 16, 2016, just a month shy of her 23rd birthday, Erin Michele Levitas left the world after a valiant battle with cancer. Her legacy lives on through the Erin Levitas Foundation and their work to prevent sexual violence through early education. Marissa Jachman is Erin's first cousin and is the Executive Director of the organization and talked about what Erin would say about the work being done by the organization and so much more including their programs and upcoming Stroll and Roll 5K and Family Fun Day.
To find out more about the Erin Levitas Foundation and their programs and to register for the Stroll And Roll 5K Run and Family Fun Day Saturday, May 10th, visit erinlevitas.org and strollandroll.info. Use code GINA for $10 adult admission. Kids up to 12 are free. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Click the media player below to listen to the interview and find out more.