Case Study: Mount Wachusett Community College strengthens sexual assault prevention with EVERFI Haven

Mount Wachusett Community College’s Innovative Approach to Sexual Assault Prevention and Bystander Intervention Programs

Mount Wachusett Community College, a diverse community college serving high school students, adult learners, veterans, and career-changers, faced the challenge of addressing sexual assault prevention across a broad student population with different needs and experiences. The school needed a way to connect prevention messaging to real-life issues on campus and in the wider community, while also reaching students who might not feel comfortable seeking help in traditional ways. To do this, the college used EverFi’s Haven program as part of a broader prevention strategy.

EverFi helped Mount Wachusett Community College combine online education and data collection with in-person outreach, including film discussions, leadership workshops, student mentoring, and bystander intervention training for both students and staff. The program surfaced striking campus data, including that 27% of incoming students had experienced unwanted sexual contact and 40% had experienced violence or abuse in a past or current relationship. EverFi’s data also helped reveal gaps between students’ perceptions of bystander behavior and their own willingness to intervene, strengthening the college’s efforts to build a more responsive, engaged campus culture.

Mount Wachusett Community College

Melissa Manzi

Counselor