RAV Promotes Safe Spaces at American University's PeaceJam Festival

Raising A Village remains committed to promoting peace and diversity in the spaces we create as part of our mission to empower underserved communities. On Thursday, September 21, 2023, our staff had the opportunity to share this mission at the PeaceJam International Day of Peace Festival on the campus of American University. This annual event brings together students, faculty, and organizations both on-campus and in the local community to learn about promoting peace to foster safe spaces. Admissions and Recruitment Associates Grogan Thames and Maddy Brandon, Communications Associate Anjenee Cannon, and Manager, Community Outreach Eva Newbold utilized this opportunity to connect with the AU community and inform students of RAV's mission.

This year's theme was "Creating Peaceful Space," which Eva, one of the event's keynote speakers, emphasized in her speech to eventgoers on campus. "When I thought about creating peaceful spaces and RAV, the first thing I thought about was our holistic approach to our work. We treat our learners as whole individuals and work to create a space where learners feel safe, seen, and at peace," said Eva. "Once we have that foundation, it is then that we are able to dive into the academic work and see a real impact."

We want to give a heartfelt thank you to the organizers of PeaceJam AU for hosting this event and allowing us to support their effort to create peaceful spaces. Here's to continuing to spread peace in the community!