Slippery Rock University will try a new tactic using grant money to combat sexual assault.

Gov. Tom Wolf has announced that the school is one of 38 post-secondary institutions in the state selected to receive funding under the “It's On Us PA” grant program, which is in its fourth year.

The movement, spawned out of the national “It's On Us” movement, reframes the conversation around sexual violence by encouraging individuals to pledge to be part of the solution.

Jodi Solito, director of the SRU Women's Center at, wrote the proposal that was awarded the $19,800 grant.

In the past, Solito said, the university used funds to host panel discussions, guide workshops and create posters with messages condemning sexual violence and encouraging victims to tell their stories.

“We decided to go in a bit of a different direction and target a certain population on campus,” Solito said.

She said the 2019 campaign will include a student survey and social media components. She said more focus will be paid to the athletic department because coaches, student-athletes and athletic trainers are familiar with NCAA-conducted sexual assault prevention and awareness campaigns in a similar NCAA-wide movement.

Find out why the focus is on student-athletes in Thursday's Butler Eagle.