Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford City Schools and the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley are teaming up to help students learn how to interact with one another in a healthy way.
Each year, the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley (WRC) conducts a Healthy Relationships Week at Radford High School, designed to teach students about consent and other relationship issues. Games, videos, raffles and more teach students about subjects like boundaries, consent, helping friends and more.
“Radford City Public Schools places a huge emphasis on positive, healthy relationships and that is one of the primary reasons we, in partnership with the Women’s Resource Center and other businesses and organizations, have scheduled Healthy Relationship Week at Radford High,” said Superintendent Rob Graham. “This is important to us because we know that when students, staff and school community members feel happy, cared for and loved, our students have a greater chance at high achievement and success in multiple areas of learning.”
“I believe one of [RCPS] greatest strengths is creating cultures and environments in our schools that are welcoming, inviting, nurturing and respectful,” he continued.
The school system, Women’s Resource Center and the Radford Youth Adult Partnership (RYAP) teams up to plan a week of activities “to promote building healthy relationships grounded in respect, equality, honesty, communication, and trust,” according to the WRC.
“We are thankful for a community that comes together to incite safety,” said Pat Brown, executive director of the WRC, said. “Because of the compassionate, dedicated people of Radford, the WRC has the ability to make a difference in the lives and futures of many teens.”
Community members are invited to support this program in three ways: by providing prizes for the students; by hosting awareness presentations in the community; by placing ribbons or declarations in their offices or distributing topical inserts in their church bulletin or business.
The WRC is a non-profit human service agency, serving the City of Radford, Floyd County, Montgomery County, Giles County, and Pulaski County and continues to provide free programs and services to adult and child victims of sexual and domestic violence. For over forty years, the WRC has provided hope and help to those who need it, making it the oldest domestic violence center in Virginia.
For more information on Healthy Relationships Week, contact Linda Johnson at 540.639.9592 or Peaceline@wrvnrv.org. People can also visit the Women’s Resource Center website at wrcnrv.org.
