Expect Respect dissemination project lands successfully in Chicago

Written by Ellen Wilder

Expect Respect is proud to partner with Between Friends based out of Chicago, IL as they work toward incorporating tools and strategies from the Expect Respect program into their teen dating violence prevention and intervention strategies. Between Friends is 1 of 4 agencies taking part in the Expect Respect dissemination, funded by The Allstate Foundation, which entails participating in a 2-day training and ongoing technical assistance. You can read more about the other 3 partner agencies in Pittsburgh, PA, Hemet, CA, and Houston, TX by clicking the links.

At Expect Respect, we understand that ending domestic violence starts with working with youth who have been exposed to, witnessed, and/or experienced violence, and are excited to support Between Friends as they expand their programming to include strategies from Expect Respect’s support group and youth leadership program components. Between Friends has extensive experience serving young people who are impacted by relationship violence and this will be the first time their counseling team will facilitate school-based support groups. Additionally, Between Friends will incorporate activities and strategies from Expect Respect’s youth leadership manual into their robust youth leadership program. Expect Respect’s approach is rooted in the idea that youth have the potential to influence peers and shift cultural norms around relationship expectations using arts-based activism.

Meg Greene, Expect Respect Consultant, former Educational Theatre Youth Manager & co-author of the youth leadership manual, partnered with Expect Respect Training Manager, Ellen Wilder, in October 2022 for the 2-day Expect Respect training in Chicago. The Between Friends team, led by Interim Executive Director, Verda Bhatti, showed up with a lot of energy, passion, and eagerness to learn about Expect Respect. Meg and Ellen led a mix of discussions alongside activities from the youth leadership manual and support group curricula. Between Friends staff shared that experiencing the program activities helped them envision how they will facilitate similar activities and conversations while working with Chicago youth. The group also focused on planning the launch of Expect Respect programming in Chicago.

Since the training, Between Friends has overcome many barriers and made strides toward implementing Expect Respect within their program model and we can’t wait to see how the work evolves over time.