Minnah Stein

In 2014, Minnah heard in a segment on NPR that 1 in 5 girls will be sexually assaulted while in college, as will 1 in 16 boys, but roughly 80 percent don’t report their assault. The problem, she realized, doesn’t begin in college but early on in elementary and secondary schools. Minnah decided to organize what began as a pledge drive against sexual assault and turned into EMPOWERU, an initiative to educate students on consent, safety, and Title IX rights.

Minnah staged a viewing of the documentary “It Happened Here” for high school students in her county, then conducted interviews and facilitated conversations with students and teachers about the facts of sexual assault and consent. EMPOWERU’s Title IX program has been implemented in K-12 schools county-wide, educating more than 40,000 students and educators. Minnah also partnered with the national nonprofit Stop Sexual Assault in Schools and helped produce the documentary “Sexual Harassment: Not in Our School!”

My goal is not only to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault in K-12 schools, but also to give educators and students language and tools they can use to take action in their communities to make their schools safe places to learn for all students.

“It is never too late, too early, or too often TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE”

2018 Award Recipient

MinnahStein

My goal is not only to raise awareness of sexual harassment and assault in K-12 schools, but also to give educators and students language and tools they can use to take action in their communities to make their schools safe places to learn for all students.

Minnah Stein

Helen Diller