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Community-focused resources

Penn State's map.psu.edu site has a section that highlight identity-based resources, including the resources below. View all community-focused resources or visit specific links below. 

Food and dining resources

Campus and safety resouces

Addressing and Reporting Bias

If you have experienced or witnessed an act of bias, intolerance, or other act, Penn State strongly encourages you to report the incident. If you are unsure of how to report, any of our Student Affairs offices can help you get to the right place. Many reporting options are anonymous. However, make sure to read each form carefully to understand how specific reports are handled.

Learn more about Addressing Bias: Rights, Responsibilities and Responses

Reporting Options at Penn State

Find the Support You Need to Thrive at Penn State

Mentoring Programs

Health and Wellness Resources

Academic and Career Success

Financial Assistance and Support for Basic Needs

Advocacy Resources

Heritage Recognition and Awareness Months | Resources and Programming

Student Affairs recognizes many heritage and awareness months throughout the year. Below are just a few of the months that honor the diverse heritage of our Penn State Community. 

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 - October 15

National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans; it celebrates heritage rooted in all Latin American countries by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. 

The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100- 402.  

September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. 

Source: Library of Congress Hispanic Heritage Month website

Penn State Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee

Penn State Student Affairs

Penn State Office of Educational Equity

Latino Caucus 

Paul Robeson Cultural Center: Provides programs and support services to encourage and cultivate the appreciation and celebration of the diverse perspectives, experiences, and cultures of many under-represented communities at Penn State.

Penn State Law School Center for Immigrants’ Rights Clinic: A nationally recognized in-house clinic focused on immigration

Penn State Student Legal Services: Provides advice, referrals, document drafting, and other legal services to University Park and Commonwealth Campus students facing personal legal issues.

First Gen Advocates: Promotes awareness, advocacy, and mentorship in order to further support first-generation college students. They offer a mentoring program for first-generation students.

BLUEPrint Peer Mentoring: BLUEprint is a peer mentoring program focused on offering cultural, social, and academic support to students of color.

Latinx Leadership Institute: The one-year program emphasizes student empowerment, bilateral education, social justice, and exposure to the University’s organizational structure.

Penn State Libraries Guides:

For more resources, visit our Community and Belonging web pages. 

Mentoring and Leadership Opportunities

Student Organizations

Please note that this is not a complete list of organizations. Visit OrgCentral to view all Recognized Student Organizations.  

Below are some additional student organizations that focus on Latinx students. Please search for the organizations in OrgCentral to confirm their status and to find contact information for the group.

  • A Pair for a Dream
  • Brazilian Student Association 
  • Caliente Dance Company
  • Caribbean Student Association
  • Colombian American Student Association
  • Dominican Student Association
  • Latin American Graduate Student Association
  • Latinx Women Association
  • International Dance ensemble
  • International Student Council
  • Mexican-American Student Association
  • Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Minorities in EMS
  • Minority Graduate Students in STEM
  • Minorities in Schreyer
  • Minorities in Sports Next: Penn State Chapter
  • Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association
  • Multicultural Student Nursing Association
  • Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association
  • Multicultural Women's Forum
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
  • Project Haiti
  • Puerto Rican Student Association
  • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  • Society for Advancement of Chicano/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Chapter at Penn State
  • Spanish Immersion Club
  • The Minority Association of Pre-Medical/Health Students
  • The Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars
  • The Peruvian Student Association
  • The Underground
  • Women Racial, Ethnic, Diversity, Intercultural Network
  • Writers Organizing to Represent Diverse Stories

For a listing of organizations at campus locations, visit our Join a Student Organization page.

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

November

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, also known as Native American Heritage Month, celebrates the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of the Native people and recognizes the significant contributions of the first Americans. 

This recognition began as American Indian Day on the second Saturday of each May. The day was established through a proclamation by the Congress of the American Indian Association's president on September 28, 1915, and was the first formal appeal for recognition of Indians as citizens. 

In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 “National American Indian Heritage Month.” Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including “Native American Heritage Month” and “National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month”) have been issued each year since 1994.

Source: Library of Congress Native American Heritage Month website

Penn State Student Affairs

Penn State Office of Educational Equity

Indigenous Peoples’ Student Association

Penn State's Acknowledgement of Land. 

Penn State Libraries guide: Indigenous Peoples in Pennsylvania History.

First Gen Advocates: Promotes awareness, advocacy, and mentorship in order to further support first-generation college students. They offer a mentoring program for first-generation students.

For more resources, visit our Community and Belonging web pages. 

Mentoring and Leadership Opportunities

Student Organizations

Please note that this is not a complete list of organizations. Visit OrgCentral to view all Recognized Student Organizations.  

Below are some additional student organizations that focus on minorities and indigenous students. Please search for the organizations in OrgCentral to confirm their status and to find contact information for the group.

  • American Indian Science and Engineering Society
  • Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Minorities in EMS
  • Minority Graduate Students in STEM
  • Minorities in Schreyer
  • Minorities in Sports Next: Penn State Chapter
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
  • Society for Advancement of Chicano/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Chapter at Penn State
  • The Minority Association of Pre-Medical/Health Students
  • Writers Organizing to Represent Diverse Stories

Black History Month

Black History Month

February

Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, pays tribute to generations of African Americans, celebrating their achievements and recognizing their central role in U.S. history.

In 1925 Carter G. Woodson and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. Mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all colors on the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. Since then, each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations. And the association—now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)—continues to promote the study of Black history all year.

Source: Library of Congress African American History Month website

Penn State Student Affairs

Penn State Office of Educational Equity

Black Caucus

Paul Robeson Cultural Center: Provides programs and support services to encourage and cultivate the appreciation and celebration of the diverse perspectives, experiences, and cultures of many under-represented communities at Penn State.

First Gen Advocates: Promotes awareness, advocacy, and mentorship in order to further support first-generation college students. They offer a mentoring program for first-generation students.

BLUEPrint Peer Mentoring: BLUEprint is a peer mentoring program focused on offering cultural, social, and academic support to students of color.

Penn State Libraries Guides:

For more resources, visit our Community and Belonging web pages. 

Mentoring and Leadership Opportunities

Student Organizations

Please note that this is not a complete list of organizations. Visit OrgCentral to view all Recognized Student Organizations.  

Below are some additional student organizations. Please search for the organizations in OrgCentral to confirm their status and to find contact information for the group.

  • African Students Association
  • Black Criminologists
  • Black Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow
  • Black Graduate Student Association
  • Black Male Leadership Symposium
  • Black Sports Management
  • Black Student Athletes at Penn State
  • Black Tech Leaders of Tomorrow
  • Black Travelers
  • Blacks in Politics
  • Bridging the GAP
  • Essence of Joy
  • International Dance ensemble
  • Loving our Curly, Kinky, and Straight Hair
  • Minority Graduate Students in STEM
  • Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Minorities in EMS
  • Minorities in Schreyer
  • Minorities in Sports Next: Penn State Chapter
  • Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association
  • Multicultural Student Nursing Association
  • Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association
  • Multicultural Women's Forum
  • NABA: The Organization for Black Business Students
  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
  • National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
  • National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers
  • National Society of Black Engineers
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
  • Pan-African Professional Alliance
  • School of International Affairs Black Student Association
  • Sovereign Magazine
  • Student Restorative Justice Initiative
  • The Culture
  • The Minority Association of Pre-Medical/Health Students
  • The Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars
  • The Organizations for the Development of Africa at Penn State
  • The Underground
  • Women Racial, Ethnic, Diversity, Intercultural Network
  • Writers Organizing to Represent Diverse Stories

For a listing of organizations at campus locations, visit our Join a Student Organization page.

 

Pride Month at Penn State

Penn State PRIDE Month

April

LGBTQ Pride Month

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.

Nationally, the month is held in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Penn State celebrates in April each year so that the celebration falls during a time when most students are on campus.

The first U.S. Gay Pride Week and March in New York City were held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. The concept behind the initial Pride march came from members of the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations (ERCHO), who had been organizing an annual July 4th demonstration (1965-1969) known as the "Reminder Day Pickets," at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. At the ERCHO Conference in November 1969, the 13 homophile organizations in attendance voted to pass a resolution to organize a national annual demonstration, to be called Christopher Street Liberation Day.

In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day," but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation, the "day" soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events.

LGBT History Month

In 1994, a coalition of education-based organizations in the United States designated October as LGBT History Month. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. National Coming Out Day (October 11), as well as the first "March on Washington" in 1979, are commemorated in the LGBTQ community during LGBT History Month.

Source: Library of Congress LGBTQ Pride Month website

Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

Penn State Student Affairs

Penn State Office of Educational Equity

Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity: Provides a comprehensive range of education, information, and advocacy services to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. 

Penn State Transgender Clothing Transit: Provides trans and gender non-conforming students the freedom to comfortably find clothing that reflects their gender expression and identity without the discomfort of shopping in a traditional clothing store.

LGBTQ+ Health Information: University Health Services (UHS), Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW), and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) strive to provide high-quality health care in an environment of inclusivity and respect.

Penn State Student Legal Services: Provides advice, referrals, document drafting, and other legal services to University Park and Commonwealth Campus students facing personal legal issues.

Penn State Libraries guide: LGBTQIA+ Studies.

For more resources, visit our Community and Belonging web pages. 

Mentoring and Leadership Opportunities

Student Organizations

Please note that this is not a complete list of organizations. Visit OrgCentral to view all Recognized Student Organizations at University Park. Please search for the organizations in OrgCentral to confirm their status and to find contact information for the group.

  • Ally House
  • Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schreyer
  • Opulence: Drag Ambassadors at Penn State
  • Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
  • Penn State Student Lion Pride Roundtable for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity
  • Students for Cultivating Change

For a listing of organizations at campus locations, visit our Join a Student Organization page.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May

Asian American and Pacific Islander (Asian/Pacific) Heritage Month is a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

The term Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, and Easter Island).

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month originated with Congress. In 1977 Reps. Frank Horton of New York introduced House Joint Resolution 540 to proclaim the first ten days in May as Pacific/Asian American Heritage Week. In the same year, Senator Daniel Inouye introduced a similar resolution, Senate Joint Resolution 72. Neither of these resolutions passed, so in June 1978, Rep. Horton introduced House Joint Resolution 1007. This resolution proposed that the President should “proclaim a week, which is to include the seventh and tenth of the month, during the first ten days in May of 1979 as ‘Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week.’” This joint resolution was passed by the House and then the Senate and was signed by President Jimmy Carter on October 5, 1978.

During the next decade, presidents passed annual proclamations for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week until 1990 when Congress passed Public Law 101-283, which expanded the observance to a month for 1990. Then in 1992, Congress passed Public Law 102-450, which annually designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

Source: Library of Congress Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month website

Penn State Student Affairs

Penn State Office of Educational Equity

Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Caucus

Paul Robeson Cultural Center: Provides programs and support services to encourage and cultivate the appreciation and celebration of the diverse perspectives, experiences, and cultures of many under-represented communities at Penn State.

BLUEPrint Peer Mentoring: BLUEprint is a peer mentoring program focused on offering cultural, social, and academic support to students of color.

Penn State Libraries Guides:

For more resources, visit our Community and Belonging web pages. 

Mentoring and Leadership Opportunities

Student Organizations

Please note that this is not a complete list of organizations. Visit OrgCentral to view all Recognized Student Organizations.  

Below are some additional student organizations. Please search for the organizations in OrgCentral to confirm their status and to find contact information for the group.

  • Ascend
  • Asian American Christian Fellowship
  • Asian Classical Music Club
  • Asian Undergraduate Student Association
  • Chinese Students and Scholars Association
  • Chinese Undergraduate Student Association
  • Elite League of Hospitality in Asia
  • Filipino Association at Penn State
  • Hong Kong Student Association
  • Indonesian Student Association
  • International Dance ensemble
  • International Student Council
  • JaDhoom
  • Japanese Friendship Association
  • Korean Gradaute Student Association
  • Korean Student Association
  • Minorities in Agriculture and Natural Resources
  • Minorities in EMS
  • Minority Graduate Students in STEM
  • Minorities in Schreyer
  • Minorities in Sports Next: Penn State Chapter
  • Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association
  • Multicultural Student Nursing Association
  • Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association
  • Multicultural Women's Forum
  • National Society of Minorities in Hospitality
  • South Asian Student Association
  • Taiwanese American Student Association
  • Taiwanese Student Association
  • Thai Student Association
  • The Minority Association of Pre-Medical/Health Students
  • The Multicultural Association of Schreyer Scholars
  • The Underground
  • Women Racial, Ethnic, Diversity, Intercultural Network
  • Writers Organizing to Represent Diverse Stories

For a listing of organizations at campus locations, visit our Join a Student Organization page.

Opportunities to Get Involved 

Visit our offices

Several of our offices have spaces where students can interact with peers and staff, attend programs, participate in various activities, or find a quiet place to study.  

While not all of our offices have a community space available, students can stop by anytime for support or to inquire about getting involved. 

Become a Mentor

Are you a seasoned student who has valuable experience to offer to your peers? Consider becoming a mentor to help first-year or transfer/change-of-campus students navigate the University. 

  • BLUEprint Peer Mentoring Program offers cultural, social, and academic support to students of color, specifically those who are first-year or transfer/change-of-campus students.
  • LGBTQ+ Mentor Program pairs graduate students who identify as LGBTQ+ with another LGBTQ+ student at Penn State to offer emotional support, assistance setting goals and choosing a career path, and guidance through sexual and gender identity development while encouraging health and wellness through campus and community engagement.

Be a Peer Educator

Are you passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues? Several of our offices have peer educator programs where you can channel your passion toward educating and engaging your peers at Penn State. 

  • Straight Talks Peer Education Program: LGBTQ+ peer educators are key to developing and engaging allies at Penn State.
  • Men Against Violence: Men Against Violence is a group of Penn State men who seek to oppose interpersonal violence in all of its manifestations and to promote healthy masculinity. 
  • Peers Helping Reaffirm, Educate, and Empower: Student members are responsible for facilitating educational programs and participating in other types of campus activities to raise awareness about issues such as sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, body image, and gender stereotypes.

Join a Student Organization

Penn State has approximately 1,000 student organizations to choose from. Below are only some of the organizations that are focused on diversity. To view all student organizations, visit OrgCentral. 

Events and Programming

Student Affairs hosts lectures, workshops, discussions, and more around topics of community and belonging throughout the year. Visit the calendar links below to explore upcoming events. 

Related Programming

Rock Ethics Institute promotes engaged ethics research and ethical leadership in topic areas, such as race, gender and sexuality, sustainability, public life, global issues, and more. They regularly host lectures and other events around these topics. 

The McCourtney Institute for Democracy works to promote scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. They host events and a podcast around topics of democracy.

Other ways to get involved

Find Your Community

We are committed to supporting an equitable living, learning, and working environment that affirms the dignity, worth, and value of all members of the Penn State community. We strive to create a campus culture that allows for openness, respect, and safety; an environment in which those with diverse attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors feel included and can thrive.

Intercultural Engagement & Community

Various units at Penn State strive to enrich the cultural experiences of our students through leadership opportunities, educational programming, community engagement, and identity expression while also supporting the navigation of the larger University community. 

LGBTQ+ Community

The Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (CSGD) provides a comprehensive range of education, information, and advocacy services to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. They work to create and maintain an open, safer, and inclusive environment honoring gender and sexual diversity.

Gender Equity and Prevention Work

The Relationship Violence Outreach, Intervention, and Community Education (R-VOICE) Center supports students who have been impacted by sexual violence, relationship violence, stalking, harassment, and other campus climate issues. The center also provides educational resources and programming around gender-related issues for the Penn State community as well as opportunities for students to get involved in gender equity work. 

Spiritual and Faith Community

The largest multi-faith center of its kind in the country, The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center is home to the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development at Penn State. The center offers a welcoming, safe, inclusive environment, and aims to promote an environment of appreciation and respect for religious and spiritual diversity.

Adult Learner and Veteran Community

Penn State has a variety of offices that support non-traditional undergraduate students and veterans. The Office of Adult Learner Programs and Services, provides advocacy, mentorship, programming, and helpful resources during a student's educational journey.

International Community

Penn State Global Programs manages education abroad programs, hosts international students and scholars, and facilitates the University's many international partnerships around the world. 

Disability and Access

Student Disability Resources supports students by exploring individualized reasonable accommodations for equal access, facilitating peer interactions and study space, connecting with on- and off-campus resources, and promoting disability as an important aspect of diversity.

Community and Belonging Resources for Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff can find resources for supporting students, incorporating community and belonging into their classrooms, and workshops or other resources to help them become better allies. 

What are we doing?

In Student Affairs

Student Affairs is committed to supporting an equitable living, learning, and working environment that affirms the dignity, worth, and value of all members of the Penn State community. We strive to create a campus culture that allows for openness, respect, and safety; an environment in which those with diverse attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors feel included and can thrive. We seek to understand, value, and uplift individual differences, including but not limited to those related to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious and spiritual beliefs, gender, sexuality, physical and mental abilities, size and appearance, and socioeconomic status.

We understand that community and belonging require ongoing work; it’s a journey, rather than an end goal. Student Affairs will continue to take steps to support and advance these values in ways that are sustainable across our campuses.

At Penn State

We are taking action together at Penn State to address racism, bias, and community safety. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals in an effort to help them thrive.

Penn State's strategic plan defines inclusion, equity, and diversity as follows: 

  • Inclusion refers to the respectful treatment of all people with recognition for the multiplicity of identities and perspectives present in a diverse community.
  • Equity requires attention to disparate impact, differential access, and opportunities afforded to various communities, as well as structural and systemic barriers that limit potential and possibilities.
  • Diversity refers to the numerical representation of faculty, staff, and students who hold different social identities, backgrounds, and experiences.

Educational Equity

Penn State's Office of Educational Equity is charged with fostering diversity and inclusion at Penn State and creating a climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the University’s faculty, staff, leadership, and student body. 

Office of Equal Opportunity and Access

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access serves as a resource in promoting and furthering the University’s commitment to equal opportunity and diversity. 

In the State College Community

Community and Campus in Unity is an organization that promotes a multicultural community that respects and celebrates diversity in State College, PA. 

Across our Campuses

The Coalition on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CoDEI) is a network of staff and faculty across the Commonwealth focused on providing diversity, equity, and inclusion support for students through programming, education, and visibility.

Learn More

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The 4Ds

We know how difficult it can be to step in. That’s why we’ve adopted the 4Ds. This simple methodology provides memorable tactics for interrupting a situation. It doesn’t take a heroic act to make a difference, sometimes all it takes is simplicity, subtlety, and a little bit of creativity to drastically change the outcome of a situation.

Direct

Directly interact with the people involved in the situation, and express that you are concerned. Examples include: 

  • Ask “Are you OK?”
  • Say to the person who needs help: “I’m worried about you, can I help you find your friends?”
  • Say to the other person: “Why don’t you get their number and call them tomorrow.”

Distract

Distract the people involved by diverting their attention to something else without acknowledging you are concerned. Use the distraction to covertly defuse the situation. Examples include:

  • Stick around and don’t leave the two individuals alone.
  • Tell the person who needs help that their friends are looking for them.
  • Offer to do something with one of the people, like dance or go outside for air.

Delay

Delaying the conversation to a later time when they are more willing to accept the interaction.

Delegate

Delegate your responsibility to intervene in a concerning situation by notifying someone who is better equipped to handle that particular situation. If you ever feel unsafe, always delegate. Examples include:

  • Tell a Resident Assistant (RA).
  • Talk to the friends of the student who needs help. Ask them to check in with their friend and get them home safely.
  • Call the police.

Proactive & Reactive Responses

There are two basic responses that bystanders can provide in any given situation: reactive response or proactive response.

A proactive response involves making small choices that deter an incident from happening in the first place.

However, we cannot see the future. We sometimes find ourselves thrown into a quickly-escalating situation that demands a swift and decisive reactive response.

Sometimes these situations can be scary and high-risk, and sometimes they just feel awkward or confusing. The choices we make at these times have a greater impact. The 4Ds guide you towards reactive responses that are safe, effective, and simple enough to recall and prompt action in these kinds of circumstances.

Additional Resources

Request a Program

Stand for State provides an interactive program that helps students understand their role in stepping in on campus and provide them with tangible tools to empower them to step in when it counts. The program will help students to recognize what's going on around them in their peer groups and discuss helpful tips for how to have conversations with their friends and peers.

Request a Program

Program Overview

What to expect:

  • Options for 60 or 90 minute programs
  • Choice of two themes:
    • Interrupting Sexual and Relationship Violence
    • Interrupting Acts of Bias and Discrimination
  • For Fall 2020 & Spring 2021 - choice of virtual Zoom-led session or student self-guided online module

Program Goals:

  • Determine your current awareness and recognition of events happening around you

  • Learn and practice tangible tools with real-world scenarios

  • Commit to infusing everyday action into daily routine

Additional Resources

The Intercultural/Multicultural Community at Penn State

We support the many under-represented communities at Penn State through programs, services, and advocacy.  We also provide many events and programs throughout the year that encourage the appreciation of diverse perspectives, experiences, and cultures. 

Get Connected

Intercultural/Multicultural Student Organizations

Get involved by joining one of the many multicultural student organizations. This is not an exhaustive list as student groups continue to shift and evolve as our communities shift and grow. To search for more opportunities visit OrgCentral and search International/Multicultural. 

  • Armenian Student Association
  • Asian Undergraduate Student Association
  • Bangladesh Student Association
  • Brazilian Student Association
  • Caribbean Student Association
  • Chinese Student and Scholars Association
  • Colombian American Student Association
  • Dominican Student Association
  • Egyptian Student Association
  • Emirates Student Union
  • Filipino Association at Penn State
  • Hong Kong Student Association
  • Indonesian Student Association
  • Iranian Student Association
  • Korean Student Association
  • Kuwaiti Students Association
  • Mexican-American Student Association
  • Puerto Rican Student Association
  • Saudi Arabian Student Association
  • South Asian Student Association
  • Taiwanese American Student Association
  • Taiwanese Student Association
  • Thai Student Association
  • The Peruvian Student Association at Penn State
  • Turkish Student Association
  • Black Graduate Student Association
  • Indian Graduate Student Association
  • Korean Graduate Student Association
  • Latin American Graduate Student Association
  • Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association
  • Pakistani Students Association of Graduates and Professionals

 

Offices and Resources

Discover your community at Penn State.

Our goal is to create a culture where all students feel welcome and included so you can focus on learning, creating friendships, and growing personally. Penn State can feel like a large place, but there are many communities to help you connect and thrive. 

We offer many spaces where students with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, socioeconomic circumstances, and physical abilities come together to find support and community. 

 

Our events and programs are open to all students regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or any other protected class. Student Affairs is committed to building a community of belonging for all.