Workshops and Trainings

Workshops are primarily facilitated by Peer Educators trained by HOPE. They can also be facilitated by professional staff from HOPE and/or CAPS when appropriate. Workshops and trainings can be tailored to fit the individual needs of residence halls, student organizations, classrooms, and Greek-letter organizations. If you are interested in a topic not listed, please contact HOPE at 848-932-1965 and they will work to create a program to fit your needs.

Requests for Fall 2024 workshops are now open.  

Request a workshop or training

Workshop Descriptions 

Sexual Health Workshops 

How NOT to Get Pregnant
This workshop provides students with the information and tools they need to avoid an unintentional pregnancy. This workshop will cover the various methods of hormonal contraception, including forms of long-acting reversible contraception such as IUDs and implants, that are available to students, how they work, how effective they are, and how to access them. Discussion will also cover safer sex and communication skills.

ABCs of STIs
This workshop is designed to assist students in assessing their risk in relationship to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well as explaining the various STIs, along with their transmission, prevention, and testing. Discussion also includes communication skills and common myths about STIs, including HIV.

Relationships 101
All relationships take work. Any relationship involving sex adds another dimension to navigate. Relationships 101 involves communication skill-building, determining expectations and boundaries, and learning about individual communication styles.

Beauty & the Booty
This workshop addresses body image and its relationship to sexuality. Topics explored include standards of beauty and attractiveness, perceptions, and understanding how society creates unrealistic expectations for both men and women. Workshops involve discussion about individual perceptions of attractiveness, cultural standards, and how each impacts how people look at one another in relationship to sexuality.

The Party: Breaking It Down
Alcohol and other drugs can impact any part of a student’s life – including sexual health. This workshop addresses the various ways that alcohol and other drugs can impact sexual decision-making and also their consequences. It includes discussion about responsible drinking and safer sex practices.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Workshops 

Mandated Alcohol Education Workshop
The Mandated Alcohol Education Workshop is a one-hour interactive workshop open only to those who have been referred to HOPE from Residence Life or the Office of Student Conduct. The workshop addresses the various ways that alcohol can impact an individual physically and academically and its effects on behavior and decision-making.  Please do not submit a request for a mandated session via this website. Please email Tanisha Riley directly at Tanisha.Riley@rutgers.edu to register for a mandated workshop.

Bystander Intervention
Bystander Intervention offers students a variety of approaches to address situations that may require intervention. Students will have the opportunity to discuss scenarios and learn skills that will motivate them to act when presented with difficult situations. Students will also practice skills to appropriately intervene during emergency and non-emergency situations.

Give it a Shot
Give it a Shot addresses how to party and drink safely, tips on how to be an active bystander, and a description of the alcohol policies and sanctions. Students will be able to learn about different intoxication rate factors and make safe decisions through a storyline involving drugs and alcohol.

Weed 101
Weed 101 explores the differences between popular strains, various ways to consume them, and descriptions of common paraphernalia. Students will be able to debunk popular myths, understand the physical and psychological effects on the body, and learn what happens when you mix weed with other drugs.

The Party: Breaking It Down
Coming to college, students are introduced to many new things, especially in the party scene. The Party: Breaking it Down addresses common ways to stay safe while at a party and the various ways that alcohol and other drugs can impact sexual decision-making. Students will be able to discuss how alcohol and other drugs affect the body and note various helpful resources on campus.

Residence Hall Message Boards
Resident assistants with first-year residences now have the opportunity to request a passive messaging board for their hall. A passive messaging board is a topic-specific bulletin board that provide educational content and resources. HOPE will create and design a bulletin board for you addressing the importance of alcohol and drug safety. Please provide any special requests that you may have and times that you are available to discuss your request.

Mental Health Workshops

The Power of Kindness: Gratitude & Compassion

Research shows that people who express gratitude and self-compassion tend to have greater life satisfaction. Treating yourself with kindness is part of our overall mental health and well-being. This workshop will help participants understand compassion and gratitude, and how a daily practice can reduce stress, especially during difficult times.

 

Pencil in a little Play 

Being able to find joy in our daily lives is a big part of mental health. Good feelings can help boost our ability to reduce stress, solve problems and think clearly. This workshop will help participants understand the benefits of play and demonstrate how play can impact our daily lives.

 

Rest Revolution: Better Sleep Habits for a Restful Night

Sleep plays an important role in good physical and mental health. It can help reduce stress levels and improve academic success, but research shows that 1/3 of us aren’t getting enough. This workshop will help raise awareness about the importance of sleep and examine how changes to our nightly routine can improve sleep habits naturally.

 

RU Distracted: Mindful Tech Break

Technology has given us new ways to have fun, connect, learn, and access help, but how do we know when it’s too much? This workshop will help participants examine their levels of technology use, reflect on how technology impacts our well-being and mental health, and identify ways to reduce technology use and its possible negative influences in our lives.

 

Balancing Act: Tips for Managing College Stress
It seems as if everyone is dealing with some form of stress. Learn the most common sources of stress for college students and tools for effectively dealing with stress. Topics include mindful meditation skills and resources available on campus.

 

Exam Ease: Managing Test Anxiety
It is easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious when preparing for tests and exams. This workshop will provide the skills you need to effectively recognize and manage your test anxiety.

 

Mastering Your Minutes: Time Management for Efficient Living
Sometimes there are just not enough hours in a day! Or maybe there is enough time – but how we manage our time needs to change. Fill in a time-pie, identify “time suckers”, and learn skills to effectively manage your time. Campus resources are included.

 

Beyond the Myths: Understanding Mental Health
Myths, stigma, and stereotypes abound when it comes to mental health and mental illness. This workshop will explore where we learn these myths, facts about mental illness, and ways we can all confront the stigma surrounding mental illness. Campus resources are included.

 

Campus Connect: Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training
Suicide touches us all regardless of ability, age, gender identity race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, and much more. This 2-hour workshop geared specifically to staff, faculty, and departments as well as student groups aims to increase knowledge about statistics, risk & protective factors, warning signs, and campus resources concerning college student suicide. Participants learn practical skills for initiating a conversation with a student in crisis and making the appropriate referral to CAPS.

 

Residence Hall Message Boards
Resident assistants with first-year residences now have the opportunity to request a passive messaging board for their hall. A passive messaging board is a topic-specific bulletin board that provide educational content and resources. HOPE will create and design a bulletin board for you addressing the topics around mental health & wellness. Please provide any special requests that you may have and times that you are available to discuss your request.

Nutrition Workshops

Nourish to Flourish
Participants will learn the basics about eating healthy and how nutrition can impact health.

Cooking: The Basics
Everyone can learn cooking basics! In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to prepare simple, healthy meals from grocery-shopping through preparation.

Bystander Intervention Workshops

Bystander Intervention: If Not You…Then Who?
This workshop offers students a variety of approaches to address situations that may require intervention. Students will have the opportunity to discuss scenarios and learn skills that will motivate them to act when presented with situations. Students will also practice skills to appropriately intervene during emergency and non-emergency situations.

SHADES Theater Performances

SHADES Theater Performances 

Shades theater actors offer performances on a wide variety of issues from sexual health to sexuality, alcohol and other drugs, body image, LGBTQA issues, racism, relationships, and more.  Performances include 4–5 short scenes followed by a facilitated discussion with the audience while the actors remain in character. Performances can be structured around one specific theme, such as sexuality and sexual health, or around a variety of other themes including, but not limited to: alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use.  

• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
• Sexuality and sexual health
• Mental health
• Body image
• Racism
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues
• Gender
• Relationships

When requesting a performance, indicate the issue(s) to be addressed. If the performance is being organized to address an incident in a residence hall, student organization, or Greek-letter organization, please indicate this as well.