Just Yell Fire, a nonprofit combating violence and abuse against girls and young women, expands its million-girl footprint by 154,000 today announcing the launch of its Just Yell Fire: Campus Life safety and self defense program for college women in conjunction with one of America’s leading sororities: Alpha Omicron Pi.
Just Yell Fire, founded by Vanderbilt University senior and Alpha Omicron Pi member Dallas Jessup six years ago, has grown into 66 countries with the unique strategy of educating young women of the dangers they face (1 in 3 will be violence or abuse victims), avoidance strategies specific to those dangers, and get-away self defense techniques (eye gouging, biting…) designed by martial arts expert and young women’s empowerment speaker Jessup.
“AOπ is thrilled to expand the reach of the Million Girl Revolution with its 154,000 members. By helping to educate young girls and women on how to fight back against the plague of the violence and abuse statistics, this is a true example of our commitment to live, to learn, to lead, and to serve,” said a To Dragma (AOπ national publication) staffer.
Under the partnership, AOπ officially adopts the Just Yell Fire girl’s self defense – campus safety program on behalf of their 123 collegiate chapters (154,000 members) and 147 alumnae chapters. The chapters will present campus safety programs in conjunction with their colleges and universities, in partnership with other campus organizations or on their own.
Just Yell Fire: Campus Life uses a combination of the Just Yell Fire: Campus Life film produced by Dallas Jessup, distributed materials, demonstrations, and presenters to highlight dangers college students face including: relationship or dating abuse, on-campus violence, sexual assault, hall cruising, date rape drugs, ATM/parking lot safety and other risks. In addition to a street fighting self defense clinic, focused on injuring an attacker to gain a few seconds to flee the danger, a Dating Bill of Rights is included in the program.
According to Dallas Jessup, Just Yell Fire CEO, “The AOπ partnership is ideal because its members are members of the campus population we designed Just Yell Fire: Campus Life to protect. College is the first time most girls are away from home for any period of time and there are some things they need to know to stay safe. We don’t tell them what to do. We give the stay safe information and some self defense skills so they can enjoy their college experience on their own terms.”
Just Yell Fire is a 1.8 million girl revolution across 66 countries combating violence and abuse against girls and young women. A mix of danger avoidance, girl’s empowerment, and a highly effective self defense program have earned praise from educators, law enforcement, advocates, parents, and young women around the world.