Two years ago this January, the bystander intervention initiative known as Stand for State officially launched. Since then, the program has worked to teach students and faculty at all Penn State campuses how to spot and intervene in concerning situations ranging from sexual assault to relationship abuse.

More recently, however, the group has developed research on a new intervention program dealing with acts of bias and discrimination. Stand for State has teamed up with several other organizations around campus to implement this new initiative, which will officially launch this month.

In order to kick off the new project and draw attention to the issues it combats, Stand for State will host events called “All That WE ARE” across many Penn State campuses throughout the month. The inspiration for hosting the event came from the viral video “All That We Share,” which was created to highlight the commonality of human experiences.

The idea that empathy and connection are the two driving forces in the fight against apathy will be central themes in the “All That WE ARE” project.

Following each event, a short video inspired by “All That We Share” will be presented. Intervention training programs will also be held following the kickoff event to teach interested participants how to spot acts of bias and discrimination.

The University Park installment of “All That WE ARE” will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. Monday, January 22 in Schwab Auditorium. All Penn State students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate in the event, which you can register for here.