Playing an Important Part in the Campus Campaign

Culture of Care is a student-led, staff-supported initiative at Indiana University, designed to foster Hoosier-to-Hoosier care in the areas of sexual well-being, drug and alcohol awareness, mental health and respect. Culture of Care is not about meetings, talks or events, it’s about spreading compassion and promoting a culture of awareness and courage. It’s about redefining what it means to be a “Hoosier.”

Say It With A Condom is proud to be part of the Culture of Care campaign which began in the spring of 2012 as a one-week outreach initiative and is now a year-long effort to raise awareness in the aforementioned focus areas, and to encourage bystander intervention. Thanks to eye-catching advocacy tools, such as condom packaging with strategic messaging, the initiative is going strong. It is attracting both new and established students, encouraging them to take personal pride in the emotional and physical safety of their school and the student body.

Capturing the Culture of Care in a Unique Way

Emmalee Fishburn, the Assistant Director for Bystander Intervention and Sexual Assault Prevention within the Office of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, has stated that 32,600 students have been directly impacted or reached (not accounting for social media or Big Ten Network impact). Her department chose Say It With A Condom because the company provided the best branded condoms with “spot on” messaging and exemplary client service. Previous partners included major universities and nonprofit organizations, marking the company as both trusted and reputable. Repeat data analysis has shown that students are benefiting from the campaign as they request additional information and condoms.

Emmalee voiced her approval, saying condoms are an integral part of the collective Culture of Care campaign as they break down barriers of safe sexual awareness. She went on to say that she would whole-heartedly advise other colleges to use condoms to promote consent and sexual health. Students are having sex, why not give them the tools for a healthy experience. She used three strong words to describe her experience with Say It With A Condom: Attentive, Efficient, Intentional.

Doubling Down on Dynamic Publicity

Just a few short weeks after placing a massive custom product order from Say It With A Condom, they came back and ordered again, stating that the condoms connect with the students in ways other promotional products did not. At tabling events all year long, they handed out pens, stickers, water bottles, journals, and other relevant promotional pieces, but the custom Culture of Care condoms garnered the most attention and none were to be found after the event.

Culture of Care informs students of the services available to them on campus and trains them in bystander intervention through the Step UP! IU program, which walks students through real-life-inspired scenarios to prepare them to intervene – not just a passive witness – when they see someone in need. Each student has or knows someone who has experienced something related to our focus areas, and we encourage students to connect with one another and to work together to combat these serious campus issues. There is no better way to promote real-life scenarios than with real-life tools such as a condom.

By providing students with the appropriate tools to organically and proactively spread the message, it arms the entire student body with the weapons they need to fight the good fight of awareness. More than proponents of safe sex, condoms not only provide a powerful message, they are a shareable tool in times of need. Friends give friends condoms. This is a good thing. The message on the package should reflect a responsible message and empower the user.

Continuing More Campaigns

Culture of Care’s strength lies in its collaborative approach to culture change. In order to continue making an impact on students’ lives, those behind the initiative believe that support from all levels of IU campuses – administration, staff, faculty, student leaders, and students – is essential to creating a Culture of Care. Say It With A Condom is dedicated to continually assist Indiana University and the Culture of Care promote bystander intervention through four focus areas: Respect, Sexual Well-Being, Mental Health, and Drugs and Alcohol.

Say It With A Condom looks forward to again working with Indiana University. We also look forward to strategic conversations about safe sex, consent, and the campaigns that promote these issues with colleges and universities throughout our country.

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