Catharine Carmody
Co-Editor in Chief
Posted Feb. 17, 2020
On February 8, another group of students took part in a session of Green Dot training. From 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, nominated student leaders participated in activities and learned about the Green Dot program—Lycoming College’s newest bystander culture educational program.
The training was led by Program Coordinator Kristina Travis, Assistant Director of Counseling Services Stephanie Fortin and Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Betty McCall. The program focuses on identifying “red dots” (or, harmful actions associated with power-based violence, such as sexual assault, dating violence and stalking) in our lives and community, and promoting positive “green dot” behaviors to minimize the amount and effects of red dot behaviors. After clarifying what actions or behaviors were red dots, the training focused on different ways that any individual can help create green dots around them.
The program’s theme of green dots and red dots keeps the message simple and easy to visualize on a map: while it might be impossible to eliminate all red dots, if there are more green dots than red dots on a map, we can all start moving towards having a community that promotes good green dot behaviors rather than allowing harmful red dot behaviors to exist.
This training focuses on giving student leaders the skills to clearly recognize red dots and clearly identify what green dot behaviors they can realistically perform themselves, and ask fellow individuals to perform. One of this program’s many benefits is that it focuses on what few things individuals can do, and spreading that responsibility. The program’s motto fittingly sums up this mentality: “No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something.” The training then covers the different types of positive bystander intervention actions that will enable everyone to do something positive when they encounter a red dot behavior, no matter what the situation is.
Faculty and staff have actually completed this training ahead of the students, which further proves that this mindset and set of practices is here to stay. Instead of beginning with informing students and student leaders, the program started with the college’s faculty and staff. This means that this information will stick around and be practiced around campus, even when groups of campus leaders graduate. This is also in-line with the program’s mission: becoming an aware participant in Green Dot practices is part of a larger, gradual cultural shift, and is not an instantaneous one-time band-aid solution to the problem.
Lycoming College will only be one of the newest participants in this program; it’s already in place at numerous other colleges and universities. Green Dot has also found a place in K-12 school communities (with modified programs, to remain age appropriate for children) and various government groups and locations.
Though the Green Dot program is newer to Lycoming College, it will continue to be a valuable one, and one that more and more students will find out about. If you find yourself around campus seeing pictures of green dots and wonder what it’s all about, ask around; you’ll find that those in the know are glad to educate you and help continue cementing this program at Lycoming College.
