(Hays, KS) - Early this month, Kaiti Blackburn, executive director of Jana’s Campaign, was selected as an inaugural honoree for her work in the nonprofit sector through the NextGen Under 30 program. This program’s mission is to identify and honor talented young adults and to encourage them to follow their lifetime family and career goals in Kansas. NextGen Under 30, a Kansas Department of Commerce program, recognizes and promotes the next generation of innovative, creative, and inspiring individuals who push the boundaries in various categories of endeavor. Out of over 600 nominations, 200 were selected across multiple sectors. Award winners were selected based on their participation and contribution to their communities.

Blackburn, a Dodge City, KS native, graduated from Fort Hays State University (FHSU) with a bachelor’s degree in leadership studies in 2015 and a master’s degree in professional studies with a concentration in organizational leadership in 2017. She began her career with Jana’s Campaign, a national education and violence prevention organization, in 2016 as an education and prevention specialist and, in 2019, was promoted to Executive Director.

Under Kaiti’s leadership, Jana’s Campaign’s reach through secondary education programming and higher education regional campus safety summits has grown to impact 43 states, over 630 middle and high schools, 538 colleges and universities, and more than 85,000 middle and high school students along with their faculty and staff. In addition to her work with Jana’s Campaign, Kaiti is a member of the Hays Young Professionals, served as an advisor for the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority at FHSU from 2017-2022, and has served as a mentor to FHSU students in the Voss Advanced Leadership Undergraduate Experience (VALUE) program through the Leadership Studies Department for the past three years. She has completed the extensive leadership pathway training through the Kansas Leadership Center of Wichita and training through Non-Profit Connect of Kansas City.

​To learn more about the NextGen Under 30 program, visit nextgenunder30ks.com.

The Jana's Campaign Annual Report is now available here. 

The Jana's Campaign Winter 2021 newsletter is now available here. 

(Hays, KS) - To many, October signifies the beginning of fall, trick-or-treaters, and even pumpkin spice lattes. But at Jana’s Campaign, October means so much more. It is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a nationally recognized effort to raise awareness of and take a stand against gender-based violence.

Domestic violence is one of society’s largest problems and yet, it hides in plain sight. It is often thought about in terms of physical violence, but other behaviors to exert power and control, such as isolation, extreme jealousy, and unpredictability, often begin long before any physical violence takes place. DVAM is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of these issues and share resources. According to the CDC, one in four women and one in ten men will be the victim of domestic violence at some point in their lifetime, and, on average, three women are killed every day at the hands of a current or former intimate partner. Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, regardless of status, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or culture.

The issue of domestic violence has plagued our country for many years, and much has been accomplished to decrease the instances, but we still have a long way to go. We need solutions that engage men and boys, stop victim-blaming, and hold perpetrators accountable. We need young people to be educated on healthy – and unhealthy – relationship behaviors. We need more citizens to learn about the complexities of the issue, ways they can effectively intervene, and how to support those in their lives that are experiencing violence in their relationships. And we need prevention.

Jana’s Campaign has pledged to provide information on our social media accounts about domestic violence throughout the month of October. Please follow Jana’s Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help us raise awareness and educate yourself and those around you about domestic violence. Together, we can take a stand. And together, we can prevent the violence before it starts.

Jana’s Campaign is a national education and violence prevention organization with the single mission of reducing gender and relationship violence. In honor of the late Jana Mackey and other victims and survivors of gender and relationship violence, Jana’s Campaign delivers comprehensive, evidence-based educational programming that prevents domestic and dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. To learn more visit www.JanasCampaign.org.

Hays, KS- Jana’s Campaign, a Kansas-based national education and violence prevention organization with the single mission of reducing gender and relationship violence, received Purple Ribbon Awards from DomesticShelters.org in the category of “Outstanding National Organization” and “Outstanding Youth Initiative of the Year.” Winners from more than 30 categories were announced July 17, 2021.

The Purple Ribbon Awards is the first comprehensive awards program honoring the countless heroes of the domestic violence movement, including advocates, programs, shelters, survivors and members of the community support system. These Awards are open to all organizations and individuals across the globe involved in the domestic violence field. Individuals or organizations may submit their applications or receive nominations from others.

“We are truly honored to receive this national recognition through the Purple Ribbon Awards,” said Jana’s Campaign Executive Director, Kaiti Dinges. “I continue to be so proud of the work we do in Kansas and beyond. I am grateful for those who support and believe in our work to prevent violence before it starts.”

After the submission process, judges ranked each entry on a scale of 1-25 based on four factors: 1) Challenge and Impact, 2) Creativity and Originality, 3) Submission Excellence and 4) Overall Performance. The three entries with the highest average score in each category received the coveted Purple Ribbon Award and a featured spot on DomesticShelters.org. Additionally, the most impressive entries across all categories will receive a portion of grants totaling up to $30,000 paid to the associated organization. Those organizations will be announced September 15, 2021.

“On behalf of Jana’s family and the founders of Jana’s Campaign, we are thrilled to receive this national award,” said Jana’s Campaign Co-Founder and Jana’s stepfather, Curt Brungardt. “It is a great confirmation of the work we are doing. It is also a great motivator for all of us connected with Jana’s Campaign--from staff members to donors to the schools that we work with--that our hard work is recognized. Let us keep the work going.”
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For More information on Jana’s Campaign, visit www.JanasCampaign.org.

The Jana's Campaign 2020 Annual Report is now available here.

Hays, KS - Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is dedicated to raising awareness about healthy and unhealthy relationships, warning signs and prevention. Adolescents and adults are often unaware that teens experience dating violence. Unfortunately, it affects millions of teens in the U.S. each year. In 2010, to help raise awareness, the U.S. Congress enhanced what had been Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week to Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, based on the rising number of incidents in teens ages 11-17 across the country.
 
According to the 2017 Youth Behavior Surveillance Study report, nearly 1 in 11 female and 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence. In addition, about 1 in 9 female and 1 in 36 male high school students report having experienced sexual dating violence. According to the Center of Disease Control, during the pre-teen and teen years, it is critical for youth to begin learning the skills needed to create and maintain healthy relationships (Preventing teen dating violence, 2020).

Unhealthy or violent relationships can have severe short and long-term effects on a developing teen. Studies show teens who experience relationship violence face additional risk for developing a violent relationship later in life. In addition, they are likely to develop depression, abuse substances, or think about suicide. As a community, we have a responsibility to make dating and domestic violence an intolerable act – anytime, anywhere. Jana’s Campaign is encouraged people of Hays and surrounding communities recognize this as a social issue that can be eradicated. We are extremely grateful for the hundreds of people who believe in the #PowerOfPrevention and help support and fund our work.
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To do our part for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Jana’s Campaign has developed a Teen Dating Violence Awareness Toolkit to help communities understand, prevent and better respond to teen dating violence. The toolkit is free and can be found on the Jana’s Campaign website, www.janascampaign.org/awareness-toolkits.html. Additionally, Jana’s Campaign will post facts and statistics about Teen Dating Violence on our social media accounts throughout the month of February.
 
We believe through education we can change and improve attitudes, behaviors, customs, interactions, relations and social norms. Since 2013, Jana’s Campaign has worked with over 600 middle and high schools impacting over 73,000 students, including 6,065 K-12 students in Ellis County to educate about and prevent against gender and relationship violence. We commend these schools for understanding the importance of talking to their students about healthy and unhealthy relationships.
 
Throughout February and beyond, please join us in our efforts to educate and raise awareness about the hidden social disease of gender and relationship violence, dating and domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking. Learn more about Teen Dating Violence, our Teen Dating Violence Awareness Toolkit and Jana’s Campaign at www.janascampaign.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you are interested in inviting Jana’s Campaign  to your school or community, please contact us at janascampaign@gmail.com or call us at 785-656-0324.