For over 30 years, WISE has been leading violence prevention work in the Upper Valley. We work with students, schools and communities to build skills around cultivating healthy, safe and fulfilling relationships. The goal of our Prevention and Education Program is to prevent gender-based violence, bolster protective factors and increase prevention techniques across the community. Our strategies reflect the Socioecological Model: connecting the individual, relationship, community and societal factors that influence real and lasting change. Together we can foster communities that are safe, happy and fulfilling.

We work with schools to incorporate prevention education across the learning environment. We offer classes and workshops that can be integrated into programming in PE, Health, Guidance, English, Social Studies, Family and Consumer Sciences, History and more.

Our schools programming is developed from research in violence prevention, youth development and effective education, and what we have learned from over 50 years of supporting survivors in the Upper Valley. The K-12 program content is drawn from nationally recognized violence prevention curricula, tailored to meet the specific needs and climate of individual schools, and stays relevant through our participation in national, state and regional professional work. The WISE Youth Violence Prevention Program is designed to support students across their educational careers and build upon lessons to develop resilience, connection and healthy relationship skills.

WISE provides professional development and consultation for education professionals in accordance with state standards, including Vermont’s Act 1: An Act Relating to Improving Vermont’s Sexual Assault Response. WISE professional development training in dating/domestic violence, sexual violence, prevention and school climate imbues every educator with a sense of responsibility and capability to promote healthy social environments for students to learn.

We can end violence. WISE educators work with the community to end gender-based violence. We provide tailored education to meet the needs of adult learners including professional development for businesses, community education for prevention and response, and facilitate relevant workshops for your everyday life. We provide training to law enforcement, health care providers, social service agencies and responders and systems. We host and collaborate in regular community events to make visible all the ways that we have power to create change. You can invite WISE to your book club, film screening and community awareness event to provide an optimistic framework for working together to end violence. To learn more, email us!