Violence Awareness and Response Program

Violence Awareness and Response Program Here for you.

The Violence Awareness & Response Program (VARP) offers:

- Confidential advocacy for MNSU Mankato students impacted by sexual violence and/or
relationship abuse
- Crisis intervention
- Prevention education programming
- Environmental strategies to reduce harm
- Resource referrals
- Training, volunteer, and internship opportunities
- Recognized Student Organizations
- Peer Educators Acting for Change and Equality (PEACE)
- Men Against Violence (MAVs)

Come see us today during Choose-A-Palooza! The Women’s Center and the Violence Awareness & Response Program are particip...
08/21/2026

Come see us today during Choose-A-Palooza! The Women’s Center and the Violence Awareness & Response Program are participating in this event.

🤝Meet our pro & student staff
🤔Learn about our services and upcoming programs/events
🗳️Enter to win a prize basket from our Centers
🙌🏻 Free items up for grabs

🗓️Friday, August 21
🕐 1:00-3:00pm
📍CSU 218

What is Choose-A-Palooza? This is a campus-wide scavenger hunt and Signature Event for Welcome Week. Go to The Hub (first floor of the Centennial Student Union (CSU), close to Starbucks) or meet your Community Advisor (CA) to get a map of participating offices on campus. Each office you visit gives you information about their services along with a raffle ticket. Take all your raffle tickets back to the Otto Rec Center Gym by 3:00 pm and drop them in different prize baskets for a chance to win.

We would love to see you there, Mavs.

Gender & Sexuality Programs presents: Welcome Week Trivia Night – Healthy Relationships & Consent Edition!🙌🏻 Connect wit...
08/19/2026

Gender & Sexuality Programs presents: Welcome Week Trivia Night – Healthy Relationships & Consent Edition!

🙌🏻 Connect with staff and students who are experts in advocacy work
👏🏽Receive sound information on healthy relationships & consent, while having fun within an interactive & competitive environment
👍 Get free resources, learn about our RSOs, and enjoy snacks and refreshments

🙋Participate in 3 rounds of trivia for prizes. The team with the most points wins the following (per player):
- First round prize: INIU PowerPaw 10K Portable Charger/Power Bank (compatible with iPhone and Android)
- Second round prize: Brita Water Pitcher (with filter) and Owala Water Bottle
- Third round prize: $50 HyVee gift card

🎟️ One student will win our top raffle prize for the event. The raffle will be at the end of the event, and students must be present and have participated in trivia in order to win.
- Apple Ipad (11” tablet)

🗓️ Friday, August 21
🕧6:30-8pm
📍CSU Ballroom
Doors open and check-in begins at 6pm.
Raffle tickets will be handed out between 6:00 and 6:30pm.
All trivia participants will get a free T-shirt and resources; a build your own nacho bar and refreshments will be available to those participating as well.

💟 Content disclaimer: This event promotes relationship health and proactive community norms for violence prevention. Please choose to attend based on your comfort level.

🎗️VARP is one of the only offices on campus that provides confidential advocacy for students impacted by sexual violence...
08/17/2026

🎗️VARP is one of the only offices on campus that provides confidential advocacy for students impacted by sexual violence, including relationship abuse, exploitation, and stalking. This is a space where:

✔️Our Director staff is not required to report what happened to the university or the police
✔️We listen without judgment
✔️Your immediate and long-term well-being is prioritized through safety planning
✔️We discuss resource options

🗓️ How to schedule an appointment:
➡️ Bookings Link for the Director: link.mnsu.edu/meetwithvarp (link in bio)
📱 Call: 507-389-5127
🧑‍💻 Email: [email protected]

Appointments are not required to meet with us:
🙋 Walk-ins are always welcome: CSU 218
🤝 We can meet students in other campus spaces, if called out by another department/office to provide support

Our staff hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. For any emergencies outside these hours, we encourage you to contact the Committee Against Domestic Abuse (CADA). CADA serves our community and has advocates on call 24/7: 800-477-0466. We work closely with CADA to make sure the needs of survivors are being met.

The fall semester is almost here, Mavs, and we look forward to welcoming you!Our offices are open this week, with extend...
08/17/2026

The fall semester is almost here, Mavs, and we look forward to welcoming you!

Our offices are open this week, with extended hours beginning Monday, August 24.

🗓️ Monday, August 17 – Friday, August 21: 8am-4:30pm

🗓️Monday, August 24 – Friday, December 11: 8am-6pm (Mondays-Thursdays), 8am-4:30pm (Fridays)

📍CSU 218

If you are looking for a place to take a break, watch tv, heat up your food, get some resources, or just talk with our staff – feel free to stop by.

🎗️VARP is one of the only offices on campus that provides confidential advocacy for students impacted by sexual violence...
05/11/2026

🎗️VARP is one of the only offices on campus that provides confidential advocacy for students impacted by sexual violence, including relationship abuse, exploitation, and stalking. This is a space where:

✔️Our Director staff is not required to report what happened to the university or the police
✔️We listen without judgment
✔️Your immediate and long-term well-being is prioritized through safety planning
✔️We discuss resource options

🗓️ How to schedule an appointment:
➡️ Bookings Link for the Director: link.mnsu.edu/MeetWithDenise (link in bio)
📱 Call: 507-389-5127
🧑‍💻 Email: [email protected]

Appointments are not required to meet with us:
🙋 Walk-ins are always welcome: CSU 218
🤝 We can meet students in other campus spaces, if called out by another department/office to provide support

Our staff hours are Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm. For any emergencies outside these hours, we encourage you to contact the Committee Against Domestic Abuse (CADA). CADA serves our community and has advocates on call 24/7: 800-477-0466. We work closely with CADA to make sure the needs of survivors are being met.

🎉 Congratulations on finishing the spring 2026 semester, Mavs!Whether you plan to go home, travel, or stay in town, we h...
05/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations on finishing the spring 2026 semester, Mavs!

Whether you plan to go home, travel, or stay in town, we hope you have a fantastic summer.

Our office and the Women’s Center will remain open from 7:30am-4pm, Monday-Friday.

If you are on campus between now and mid-August, remember that you can use our space to study. Or, you can come by to get free resources and talk with our staff. We are here for you 🪷

We thank the campus community for reaching out to & engaging with us this semester. Here is our impact since January:🎗️P...
05/07/2026

We thank the campus community for reaching out to & engaging with us this semester. Here is our impact since January:

🎗️Prevention education: 324 students & staff reached through their departments, classes, and organizations

🪷Advocacy: 208 hours of direct advocacy provided to students and staff

💟 We hosted Take Back the Night as a part of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month, which provided an intentional space for activism, empowerment, and healing. Nine students and colleagues courageously shared their experiences through song, poetry, and written statements.

🙌🏻 We trained 14 faculty and staff members to be certified facilitators for the Green Dot Bystander Intervention Program. Green Dot will be part of our violence prevention education strategy in the coming academic year.

⏩ Plan to see us in the fall semester and be a Maverick for Violence Prevention. We will be hosting events during Welcome Week and observing Domestic Violence Prevention & Awareness Month in October.

⏩ Remember, there are several resources, including us here in VARP, who are prepared to support students & staff impacted by sexual violence. You can learn more about resources at link.mnsu.edu/varpresources (link in bio).

🩵 Join us in recognizing Denim Day on Wednesday, April 29, in honor of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month.👖 Wha...
04/28/2026

🩵 Join us in recognizing Denim Day on Wednesday, April 29, in honor of Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month.

👖 What is Denim Day?
Denim Day is the longest‑running sexual violence prevention and education campaign. It began after a 1992 ruling by the Italian Supreme Court overturned a r**e conviction, claiming the survivor’s tight jeans implied consent. Since then, wearing denim has become a visible act of protest against victim‑blaming and harmful myths surrounding sexual violence.
Learn more at DenimDay.org.

🙌 How to participate:
Join us and Alpha Chi Omega from 11 AM–2 PM in the CSU Flexible Programming Space for activity stations, resources, a photo booth, and snacks.
📸 Be part of our campus photo at 12:45 PM in Hearth Lounge!
💙 Wear denim. Show solidarity. Help challenge misconceptions.

04/12/2026

🗓️ Monday, April 13
🕡 6:30-8:30 pm
📍 CSU Ballroom

The mission of the international Take Back the Night Foundation is to create safe communities and respectful relationships through awareness events and initiatives, with the goal of ending all forms of sexual violence. We will honor this initiative by providing a space where our students, colleagues, and community members may:

🤝 Connect with campus & community resources.
💬 Listen to students, colleagues, and community members share their stories of survivorship and allyship through music, poetry, and written narratives.
🙌🏽 Enjoy free Take Back the Night-branded items, food, and enter into a drawing to win one of three prizes: a $25 Visa gift card, a portable/magnetic phone charger, or an iPad Tablet.
📢 Take part in a protest and walk with our community, to show collective support for survivor safety, prevention education, the elimination of r**e myths, and call for accountability of those who cause harm.

Audience: Students, Colleagues, Community Members. Register on MavLife or when you arrive at the event. There is no cost to attend.

Cohosted by: The Violence Awareness & Response Program, Residential Life, Fraternity & Sorority Life, and CADA

04/07/2026

Join us for Teal Tuesdays as we observe Sexual Assault Prevention & Awareness Month this April.

🩵 The color teal represents sexual violence prevention and survivor support. Teal Tuesday was created to keep awareness visible throughout the month by encouraging ongoing conversations instead of focusing on just one day.

🙌 Throughout April, Teal Tuesday will include four events held at different campus locations. Each event is structured as a quick, drop‑in experience rather than a sit‑down program. While the core message is consistent, each week emphasizes accessibility, visibility, and connection in different campus spaces.

🖌️Tuesday, April 7: Teal Painting Party, 2-4pm, CSU 218
🧁Tuesday, April 14: Teal Icing, 12-1pm, CSU 269
👚Tuesday, April 21: Teal Tie Dye, 4-6pm, Preska Lobby and 126
🔖Tuesday, April 28: Teal Quiet Corner, 8am-12:30pm, Memorial Library – Southwest Corner

Address

Minnesota State University/Women'S Center/218 Centennial Student Union
Mankato, MN
56001

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15073895127

Website

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