A packed room during Day 1 of the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference.

Today marks the first day of the 2011 National Sexual Assault Conference, hosted by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) in Baltimore, Maryland. The theme for this year’s conference is Changing Our Communities, Changing Our World. There are representatives at the conference from all 50 states, and more than 800 attendees present to connect, learn and re-ignite each others’ commitment to this movement.
Day 1 starts with an opening session from Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah and Linda Degutis, Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The remainder of the day is filled with workshops and a keynote address from speaker MESHELLE, the indie-mom of comedy.
PCAR has included a variety of topics and issues related to ending sexual assault. Workshops include topics such as, but not limited to:

  • an LGBTQ Roundtable;
  • bystander intervention as a prevention initiative;
  • media and technology issues;
  • secondary trauma and self care;
  • counseling relationships;
  • medical and legal issues; and
  • human trafficking.

CALCASA is honored to be co-sponsoring this conference, and looks forward to learning and engaging with new faces and old friends!