Interval House Teams with Local Schools for February Awareness

HARTFORD – As part of its ongoing commitment to prevention education, Interval House is partnering with Covenant Preparatory School and Grace Academy during February’s National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

Students in 7th and 8th grades will participate in several virtual activities, including online presentations by Interval House’s community educator, crafting a social media awareness campaign as well as curriculum projects created by teachers and fellow students. Educators from the two schools will be panelists during a special “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” Teen Dating Violence Awareness webinar, hosted by Interval House and members of Men Make a Difference, Men Against Domestic Violence (MMAD) at noon on Friday, Feb. 12.

“We’re so grateful to have these outstanding schools and their bright students collaborating with us on such an important topic,” said Mary-Jane Foster, Interval House’s President and CEO. “We know that breaking the cycle of domestic violence must start by educating young people about healthy relationships.”

Teachers at the schools will also be using a special toolkit curriculum created by the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence designed to educate teens about healthy relationships through classroom activities.

“At Covenant Prep, our mission is to help our students excel in all facets of life,” said Armando Jimenez, Covenant’s Head of School and member of MMAD. “Making sure they understand what healthy relationships are and look like is so important to breaking the chain of dating violence that reaches into all of our communities.”

The statistics of teen dating abuse are staggering. More than 1.5 million high school students across the country report being physically abused in their dating relationships. One in three young women in the US reports being a victim of physical, emotional or verbal abuse from their dating partner. To learn more about teen dating violence, visit www.intervalhousect.org/teen-dating.

“This is learned behavior and we must do more to help teens avoid violence and fear in their dating relationships,” Foster said. “Young people need our help to understand that there’s never, ever, an excuse for abuse.”

About Interval House
Founded in 1977, Interval House is the largest agency in the state of Connecticut dedicated to preventing and breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Through its direct service and community outreach in 24 towns and cities both East and West of the Connecticut River, Interval House has touched the lives of more than 250,000 people over four decades. 24-Hour Hotline: (888) 774-2900. Donations accepted: www.intervalhousect.org/donate. All other calls: (860) 246-9149. Website: www.intervalhousect.org.

About Covenant Preparatory School
Covenant Preparatory School is a tuition-free, independent day school for boys, grades 5-8. The school provides a challenging academic program in a supportive learning environment. It also strives to graduate young men who are academically and socially prepared for high school, inspired to lead their lives in the pursuit of excellence, model leadership and integrity, and are committed to their communities. Since 2011, the school -- that has a maximum of 60 students -- has graduated 11 classes of 8th graders who went on to attend a variety of private and public high schools and colleges/universities across the region.

About Grace Academy
Grace Academy is a comprehensive educational program for girls’ grades 5-8. The school provides a rare opportunity for students to experience a tuition-free, college preparatory education in an atmosphere of respect and responsibility. It offers a structured, challenging and supportive educational program for students of all faiths in Hartford. The school works to inspire intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, creative and athletic growth of each young girl and to nurture in a small-school setting the full potential of her whole character.