/ Student Development

STEP

Students Teaching and Empowering Peers (STEP) is a group of Hope College students that work to educate, empower and encourage members of the campus community.

  • Educate and inform other students about forms of interpersonal violence (i.e. sexual assault, violence in relationships, harassment and stalking)
  • Empower those impacted by interpersonal violence to seek resources and support
  • Encourage members of the campus to be active bystanders

It is the vision of STEP to have a campus free from interpersonal violence. A campus where every member feels safe and respected, where every member is knowledgeable about how to handle a situation should one arise, and where every member knows that there are resources available to help process a situation that was experienced or witnessed by that student.

STEP capitalizes on the extensive research indicating that peers are the single most potent source of influence on undergraduate student affective and cognitive growth and development during college.

STEP Educators use this influence to facilitate interactive workshops and organize campus programs and events that are designed to:

  1. Create an awareness of the definition and dynamics of sexual assault and relationship violence;
  2. Encourage healthy relationships;
  3. Promote becoming an active bystander;
  4. Provide tools students can use to establish an intolerance of sexual assault, relationships violence and stalking on campus.