University to Host Regional Conference for Peer Educators

The BACCHUS Network Area 6 Spring Conference will be held in the Arkansas Union on Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1.

The BACCHUS Network is a university and community based network focusing on comprehensive health and safety initiatives, and area 6 represents colleges and universities from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

This year marks the second time that our peer education program, Rape Education Services Promoting by Peers Encouraging Conscious Thought (RESPECT) will host the regional conference at the University of Arkansas. The conference was last held on campus in 2011, so this will be the first time hosting for the current peer educators.

Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, director of STAR Central and adviser to RESPECT describes the conference as, “focused on students, and a place for students to learn and share education techniques to take back to their campuses.”

RESPECT has received numerous accolades from the BACCHUS Network, including a national award for their research and evaluation methodology in December 2013.

RESPECT peer educators will be presenting two of the conference sessions this weekend, “Countering Rape Culture Through Memes” and “Successful Social Norming Campaigns Utilizing Social Media.”

Additionally, three staff members from the department of wellness and health promotion at the Pat Walker Health Center will be presenting at the conference. Mary Wyandt-Hiebert, director of STAR Central and advisor to RESPECT and Jen Carlson, sexual violence prevention educator will present on “Breaking Barriers, Building Bonds.” Debbie Morgan, substance abuse prevention coordinator and adviser to Substance Education and Alcohol Resources will present on, “Thinking from Scratch: Same Programs, New Perspective.”

The keynote will be delivered by Kevin C. Snyder, motivational speaker and author on The PASSION Project, which focuses on inspiring campuses one student at a time.

The conference opens at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Union Theatre. On-site registration is available from 6-7 p.m. at the Union Theatre for any student, with an on-site registration fee of $95.

The university community is welcome to view exhibit tables, created by peer educators from across the region 1:30 - 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1 in the Union Verizon Ballroom.