NCJW | LA launched The Talk Project, a program to educate high school teens about sexual violence in February 2016. In FY 2017, the Talk Project reached almost 2000 students through workshops, had 25 peer educators, and involved 9 schools and 1 youth group.

The program was inspired by the movement against sexual violence on college campuses, highlighted in the documentary The Hunting Ground. High school students, who were interning with the Section, wanted to create a program to combat sexual violence and worked with staff to create the peer-to-peer workshop that they bring to high schools throughout LA.

In order to reach teens beyond Los Angeles, The Talk Project’s peer educators also created their own website, social media platforms, resource sheets, and blog to raise awareness about sexual violence.

The LA Section chose to implement The Talk Project as it speaks to NCJW’s mission to improve the lives of women, children, and families. Students who have seen The Talk Project reported being significantly less likely to adhere to rape myths, and significantly more likely to practice consent behaviors and intervene if confronted with a situation linked to sexual violence.