“Graham's visit to our campus was transformational. He met with several members of our Senior Administration and articulately encouraged us to reframe the way we engage our students include them as a vital part of the solution to stop sexual violence on campus. We are now reconsidering campus policies as a result. 'The Goods' presentation was truly engaging and informative. Students from my courses are still talking about it - he seemed to be able to reach students who are traditionally disengaged from these types of conversations. To say that 'Graham's visit went above and beyond what we expected' would be an understatement. I already have staff and students asking me when he is going to return. His time with us was invaluable.
And that's the truth.”

Kelly Moore Spencer, PhD, LCMHCS, ATR-BCAssociate Professor Coordinator of Women's & Gender Studies Program Mars Hill University

“Graham was able to pull in our students with an eclectic mix of keynote delivery, spoken-word, harsh realizations, and audience engagement. At the end of his presentation, I felt a strong desire to affect change… to be part of the solution.”

Joe Richter, Student Involvement SupervisorNortheast Wisconsin Technical College

Bio:

Graham Hackett provides a rare male voice calling for an end to sexual and relationship violence.

A seasoned educator and professional advocate, Graham spent most of his career as a specialist serving “high risk” youth, ultimately reaching juvenile inmates as part of gang violence prevention efforts in North Carolina. In 2014, he pivoted to join the movement to end sexual and domestic violence by touring programs to colleges across the country, advocating for consent culture. Graham went on to serve as Director of Prevention Programs for the rape crisis center of Buncombe County, NC before moving to his current position as Social Change Program Manager for with Advocates of Routt County in Colorado. Leveraging over 20 years as a program facilitator, he connects with a wide range of audiences to present Advocates’ programs for conferences, schools, colleges, businesses, and community groups.

p.s. In his Creative Sector days, prior to committing to human services work, Graham also acted in over 40 theatrical plays, produced 30+ original arts events, and performed original poetry hundreds of times across the country – including at Bonnaroo 3 years in a row!

Programs:

Come get “The Goods” on Sexual Ethics and Solid Relationships!

Advocates of Routt County has been serving victims of sexual and domestic violence for nearly 40 years. Our Social Change programs acknowledge that these issues are not strictly about the individuals involved, but also social conditions that set the stage for misconduct and abuse.

We also recognize that addressing these challenging topics can be daunting. So instead of merely burdening participants with heavy knowledge, we deliberately seek to INSPIRE every individual to embrace their vital role in improving safety for their own communities. To this end, each Advocates program is designed to empower participants with expanded awareness and actionable skills through research-informed, age-appropriate, medically accurate, culturally-competent educational presentations.

Finally, unlike many similar programs across the country, Advocates of Routt County believes in the importance of representation. As such, we have not only built numerous marginalized identities into our presentations, but framed many of our key messages through the lens of intersectionality to reflect genuine diversity and our commitment to equity.

Programs Include:

  • The Goods: Sexual Ethics and Solid Relationships

Advocates’ flagship program designed to improve cultural awareness and illustrate key concepts like: Consent, Personal Boundaries, and Communication.

Modern dating and relationships are extremely complex. Navigating issues like stereotyping, “red flag” behaviors, and accountability is critical for building foundations of mutual respect. This, in turn, can prevent misunderstandings, bigotry, and abuse. This program also introduces participants to “Bystander Intervention” strategies and tactics for interrupting problem situations, a proven technique for making communities safer.

“As a counselor, I see many students wanting to learn healthy boundaries in relationships with themselves and others. Graham was able to engage our students in discussing these very difficult conversations about sexual misconduct and domestic violence.  The Goods and Media Savvy programs were very impactful and the start to lifelong discussions that hopefully our students will continue in order to create safety in their lives!”

– Carolyn Maul, Counselor Yampa Valley High School

  • Media Savvy: Digital Citizenship & Avoiding Online Risks

The world has changed drastically with the rise of online life. Participants examine “digital citizenship” through a wide range of critical issues like:

  • Sexting
  • Cyber-bullying
  • Catfishing
  • Grooming
  • Faulty social narratives

Participants will acknowledge the unique role technology plays in all aspects of our lives and develop a stronger sense of how to maintain privacy to avoid risks. By adopting simple protective measures and learning key principles of responsible online engagement, everyone can use the internet more safely.

SPECIAL PROGRAM AVAILABLE for ADULTS or PARENT GROUPS

  • Good for Business: Empower Your Workforce to Prevent Misconduct

Good for Business is not your typical anti-harassment training intended to scare employees, cast blame, and trudge through procedures. To prevent sexual misconduct, harassment or other conduct issues requires simple, effective improvements to workplace culture.

Participants learn about:

  • Social Context
  • Methods to Improve Safety
  • Personal Boundaries
  • “Bystander Intervention” tactics for Interrupting Problem Behaviors
  • Supporting Victims and Reporting Options

“I’ve had employees stop me or call me to say thanks, happy to see the company committing to a safer workplace and how valuable the information has been.  A huge thanks to you all for creating and providing this [Good for Business] training.  This is a positive direction for not only our employees but the entire community.

– Trish Sullivan, Vice President – Human Resources Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation

 

  • Intervene: Interrupting Toxic Behavior Makes All Communities Safer

“Bystander Intervention” is widely known as one of the most effective, proven methods for reducing problem behaviors within a community. Intervene expands on traditional bystander intervention trainings that teach skills for preventing sexual misconduct to address harmful racist and bigoted abuses as well. This program draws from real world scenarios to outline strategies and tactics for safely interrupting misconduct before it escalates to abuse.

“The trainings we’ve received from Advocates of Routt County have been spot on. They’ve helped Honey Stinger and every single member of our team think about the impact our words and actions have in our daily lives, in the workplace, and on the future success of our company. Advocates provided great analysis and examples for all of us to assess our implicit biases and examine how those affect our culture and business.”

– Deirdre Pepin, Honey Stinger Executive Administrator