Addressing Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning

Welcome to the free, self-paced learning guide for addressing sexual harassment in experiential learning! This learning guide is intended for post-secondary staff, faculty and administrators, career centers, and experiential learning providers. It is a roadmap for engaging with strategies, resources, and tools from Possibility Seeds’ Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Research-to-Action Project. 

Before you begin, we invite you to:

  • Download the Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report   

  • Download the Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

  • Download the Protocol Workbook 

  • Download the Policy and Legislative Recommendations

As you move through the materials, you will:

  • Learn foundational knowledge about sexual harassment in experiential learning to better understand and recognize the issue.

  • Engage with resources and tools that will prepare you to respond, and support you to develop institutional frameworks to address sexual harassment in experiential learning.

  • Reflect on and Apply practical steps you and your institution can take to create safer experiential learning opportunities for students.

  • In this Part, you’ll be introduced to the issue of sexual harassment in experiential learning, learning why there is an urgent need to address it. You’ll also be introduced to Possibility Seeds’ Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Research-to-Action Project, with and overview of the tools and resources you’ll be engaging with.

  • In this Part, you’ll dive deeper into the issue of sexual harassment in experiential learning with an overview of key insights gleaned through our research, consultations and conversations with stakeholders. You’ll learn about the prevalence of the issue, what it can look like, and the significant impact that it can have, along with key gaps and challenges to be overcome.

    • Read Part 2 (pp. 21-36) in Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report

    • Read Sexual Harassment and Violence in Experiential Learning Infographics (pp. 21-24) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

  • In this Part, you’ll be introduced to tools and resources to prepare you to respond to disclosures of sexual harassment in experiential learning. You’ll also be asked to apply what you’ve learned using the workbook and templates provided.

    • Watch ARC Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Harassment and Violence in Professional Settings

    • Read Acknowledge, Respond & Connect Workbook (pp. 8-20) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

    • Read Distinguishing Between Disclosures and Reports Infographic (p. 25) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

    • Apply your learning by completing the Acknowledge, Respond & Connect Workbook (pp. 8-19) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

    • Apply your learning by completing the Disclosing & Reporting Sexual Harassment And/Or Violence Form (pp. 26-29) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

    • Apply your learning by completing the Student Support Resources Form (pp. 28-30) in Responding to Sexual Harassment Toolkit

  • In this Part, you’ll be given tools to support you in building out an institutional framework for responding to sexual harassment in experiential learning. You’ll be introduced to a roadmap for developing an institutional response protocol, along with considerations for institutional policies and tools for engaging with employers and experiential learning providers. You’ll also be asked to take the first steps in actioning your protocol development.

    • Read Protocol Workbook

    • Apply your learning by completing the steps in Part 1: Laying the Foundation (pp. 8-13) in Protocol Workbook

  • In this Part, you’ll be introduced to recommendations for post-secondary institutions to address sexual harassment in experiential learning, and revisit tools designed to support you to advocate on those recommendations. Where available, promising practices are provided to show how this work is already being taken up.

    • Read Key Recommendations for Post-Secondary Institutions (pp. 41-63) in Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report

    • Read Policy & Protocol Recommendations for Post-secondary Institutions (pp. 10-16) in Policy and Legislative Recommendations

    • Read Appendix B: Considerations for Institutional Policies (pp. 31-39) in Protocol Workbook

    • Read Appendix A: Draft Letter to Senior Administrators (pp. 29-30) in Protocol Workbook

  • In this Part, you’ll be introduced to recommendations for post-secondary institutions to address sexual harassment in experiential learning, and revisit tools designed to support you to advocate on those recommendations. Where available, promising practices are provided to show how this work is already being taken up.

    • Read Key Recommendations for Post-Secondary Institutions (pp. 41-63) in Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report

    • Read Policy & Protocol Recommendations for Post-secondary Institutions (pp. 10-16) in Policy and Legislative Recommendations

    • Read Appendix B: Considerations for Institutional Policies (pp. 31-39) in Protocol Workbook

    • Read Appendix A: Draft Letter to Senior Administrators (pp. 29-30) in Protocol Workbook

  • In this Part, you’ll be introduced to recommendations for governments to address sexual harassment in experiential learning. Where available, promising practices are provided to show how this work is already being taken up.

    • Read Key Recommendations for Governments (pp. 68-74) in Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report

    • Read Legislative Recommendations for Provincial and Territorial Governments (pp. 17-23) in Policy and Legislative Recommendations

We’re so glad you’re here. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more. As you continue to enhance your knowledge and engage deeply with this content, we encourage you to consult with experts, and to seek out training, education, and professional development opportunities in relevant areas. Simply reading the materials provided here is not sufficient.  

This work requires that we acknowledge, learn from and build on broader efforts to address sexual and gender-based violence at PSIs and in the workplace. Sexual harassment in experiential learning has specific challenges that need attention, but we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Possibility Seeds’ Courage to Act project has 70+ comprehensive tools for responding to gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions, freely available for download on the Possibility Seeds site. 

We invite you to continue reflecting on how we can create safe, harassment-free experiential learning for students. You can find critical areas that warrant further attention, as well as ideas for additional tools and resources, in Part 4: Areas for Further Exploration (pp. 75-80) Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Report.