Stand for State Action Week will be held next week, September 12-18 on campus to promote the importance of bystander intervention and the Green Dot program. Although you may remember Stand for State from its balloon room last semester, the bystander intervention program has grown exponentially since then.

The goal of Action Week is to “generate as many green dots as we can across all Penn State campuses to show we stand for watching out for each other, because everyone deserves to be safe,” according to the Stand for State website.

A green dot is essentially an action that actively shuts down or diffuses a potentially dangerous, harmful, or uncomfortable situation. Green dots can be proactive or reactive and bystander intervention and Stand for State aim to make the Penn State community safer by replacing red dots with green dots.

Stand for State currently encompasses sexual harassment and relationship violence but will soon expand to tackle mental health and drug and alcohol abuse. There are a number of ways students, faculty, and staff can promote green dots, be it through intervening in a situation by using one of the 3D’s or by sharing information about Stand for State and bystander intervention so more people can know what to do in a potentially harmful situation.

Stand for State’s Action Week will feature a campus-wide effort to inform more people about bystander intervention and green dots and help promote a safer Penn State. Here are the events you can attend next week as part of the event:

Monday

• 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. — HUB Table Activities
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Tent on HUB Patio
• 3 p.m. — Call to Action on HUB High School Musical Staircase, featuring President Barron and UPUA President Terry Ford
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Balloon Room Gallery in 131 HUB

Tuesday

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — HUB Table Activities
• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Table Lunchtime Discussions at 134 HUB: PRCC & CWS present red zone conversations
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Tent at Life Science Bridge
• 6:30 p.m. — Taco Bout It Tuesday at Pollock Commons Dining Hall (including free Qdoba)

Wednesday

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — HUB Table Activities
• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Table Lunchtime Discussions at 232 HUB: PHREE & MAV present combating rape culture
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Tent at Pattee Library

Thursday

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — HUB Table Activities
• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Table Lunchtime Discussions at 232 HUB: Title IX’s approach to sexual misconduct
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Tent at IST Bridge

Friday

• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — HUB Table Activities
• 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Student Advocacy Orgs Involvement Fair at HUB Ground Floor
• 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. — Table Lunchtime Discussions at 117 Borland: Performing arts and bystander intervention
• 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. — Tent at Pollock Quad

Saturday

• Watch for It’s On Us video at Penn State/Temple Football Game

Sunday

• 11 a.m. — Closing Address With President Barron And Dorothy Edwards (Green Dot Executive Director) at HUB Freeman Auditorium
• 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Bystander Workshops

Even if you can’t attend an event, there are plenty of other ways to contribute your own green dot:

• Wear a green dot pin.
• Share about Action Week in a class, meeting, org, etc.
• Discuss within a group how to set the norm of keeping each other safe (within a class, org, friend group, meeting, etc.)
• Have a conversation with someone about Action Week, creating a safer campus, or bystander intervention in general.
• Tell a friend or colleague you care about them and would do a green dot for them.
• Share or post on social media.
• Pass a slap bracelet — If someone passes a bracelet to you, you should pass it to someone else and tell your friends why they deserve to be safe. Post a picture of your pass online with #SFSPassItOn and the number on your specific bracelet so you can look up the hashtag to see who else has had your bracelet.
• Encourage a student to take a Stand for State workshop.
• Request a program from Stand for State, Center for Women Students, the Title IX office, etc.
• Change your email signature line.
• Wear a Stand for State or anti-violence t-shirt or sport other swag.
• Intervene in a safe way if you see something concerning.
• Participate at a table/tent/booth.

Don’t forget to submit your green dot on Stand for State’s online form to be counted in the Action Week total. If you want to learn more about bystander intervention, you can sign up for a workshop here.