Recipients of 2020 EVERFI Impact Award Announced

EVERFI Impact Award recognizes university leadership in addressing Alcohol and Substance Misuse and Sexual Assault prevention

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EVERFI, Inc., the leading social impact education innovator, today named two institutions of higher education as the winners of the 2020 EVERFI Impact Award. The EVERFI Impact Award recognizes an institution’s commitment to creating a safe and healthy campus environment through its demonstrated excellence in comprehensive alcohol and other drug misuse, and sexual assault prevention efforts.

This year’s winners were selected in two categories: Excellence in Sexual Assault Prevention and Excellence in Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention. Winners in each category are:

● Excellence in Sexual Assault Prevention -- Michigan State University

● Excellence in Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention -- College of the Holy Cross

Michigan State University’s dedication to sexual assault prevention is exemplified by its Prevention, Outreach, and Education Department. The Prevention, Outreach, and Education Department provides in-person and online programming including athletic staff and students, fraternity and sorority students, first- and second-year students, faculty, staff, and graduate students. The Department works collaboratively with other members of the campus community and the 11 member team is constantly engaging leadership and empowering campus community members to improve the climate, create an environment free of relationship and sexual violence, and positively affect social change. Michigan State also demonstrates its commitment to prevention by requiring undergraduate students to receive training every year.

College of the Holy Cross is recognized for its efforts in creating an evidence-based, comprehensive, campus-wide substance misuse prevention plan through the collaborative work of its Campus Advisory Board on Alcohol (CABA) and staff of the Office of Wellness Programming. Most notable is a strong alliance between prevention staff and the Athletics Department that has enabled the formation of an athletic substance use peer education group, annual training for all student-athletes, and a set of guidelines to address game day drinking behavior. In addition, they are committed to identifying and expanding opportunities that focus on relationship and community building for students who choose not to drink; and most recently initiated the first phase of their plan to create a Collegiate Recovery Program by opening a designated lounge for students in recovery from a substance use disorder.

“The EVERFI Impact Award celebrates institutions of higher education that are dedicated to building safer and healthier campus communities for their students,” said Rob Buelow, Senior Vice President, Campus Prevention Network, EVERFI. “For too long, many health and safety challenges for these institutions including sexual assault and high-risk drinking have seemed insurmountable. EVERFI applauds these two universities for their exemplary efforts, which can serve as a roadmap for campuses across the country to increase the impact of their work taking on these challenging issues.”

Colleges and universities that are members of the Campus Prevention Network are eligible to receive the award. Winners are selected based on the results of their Alcohol Diagnostic Inventory (ADI), or Sexual Assault Diagnostic Inventory (SADI) -- comprehensive, evidence-informed assessments of a school or organization’s prevention programs and practices. Additional selection criteria include interviews with prevention experts and a careful review of each institution’s accomplishments from the previous year.

EVERFI Impact Award winners will be recognized during the annual Campus Prevention Network Summit that will take place virtually June 3-4. EVERFI’s Campus Prevention Network provides tools, resources, and insights to support schools in driving lasting, large-scale change on their campuses.

To learn more about the Campus Prevention Network, please visit https://everfi.com/networks/campus-prevention-network/

About EVERFI, Inc.

EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 41 million learners globally. Recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company in 2020, EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, as well as Advance, Rethink Education and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.