Take Back the Night is an event held around the world to raise awareness about sexual and domestic violence and to promote a community that stands up against this violence. Decades ago in Europe, women from many countries met together as a tribunal council to discuss women’s safety when walking down public streets. This was the first ever Take Back the Night. In later years, a rally and march has been held in several cities around the world to protest several issues around women’s safety.

The first Take Back the Night came to the United States in the late 1960s. In 1973, Take Back the Night was held to protest pornography in San Francisco, and serial murders of women of color in Los Angeles. In October 1975, a march was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania after the murder of Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone. Since the 1970s in the United States, Take Back the Night has focused on eliminating sexual and domestic violence in all forms. Thousands of colleges and universities, domestic violence shelters, and rape crisis centers have held this event all over the country.

NOVA has had three Take Back the Nights in the last year. We hold Take Back the Night twice a year, in April and October. NOVA’s most current Take Back the Night was held on April 21, 2015 at the Loudoun Campus. This event consists of a resource fair and rally followed by a candle light march around the campus. We invite resources within the NOVA community, as well as outside resources. During our rally, we invite sexual assault, domestic violence and/or stalking survivors to talk about their experiences. If you would like to participate in the next Take Back the Night at NOVA, please contact Angela Acosta at aacosta@nvcc.edu or 703-323-2406.

If you are in need of services or have questions, please contact NOVA SAS at nova.sas@nvcc.edu or text/call 703-338-0834 (24 hours / 7 days a week).

-Written by: Angela Acosta, Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Outreach Specialist, NOVACares Office 

Money Smart Week^® Returns April 18-25, 2015
Saving for college? Preparing for retirement? Repairing your credit? Just wish you were better at managing your money? Sign up today for one of many financial education programs during Money Smart Week^® April 18-25, coordinated by The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and hundreds of local partner organizations in your community.

Money Smart Week events are open to the public at businesses, financial institutions, schools, libraries, nonprofits and government agencies on topics including kids and money, credit building, managing student debt and retirement. Event information is available at www.moneysmartweek.org

Follow the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Facebook for the latest Money Smart Week information.

Happy Earth Month! With Earth Day being celebrated on April 22nd, we wanted to highlight service opportunities that support environmentally conscious efforts. Check out these great resources where you can find opportunities not only to give back to your community by volunteering, but also being mindful about the future of our planet.

The Nature Conservancy–  This organization is focused on nature conservation all over the world and focuses on the science of how our world works to determine the areas and projects that are in need. View this video to find out more about the mission and vision of the organization: Who We Are &What We Do. On behalf of Earth day, The Nature Conservatory is offering several volunteer opportunities across all 50 states and several countries in the world to help promote the care for our Earth! Visit the site to find out more about a volunteer opportunity near you!

VolunteerMatch.org– Volunteer Match provides a great resource for anyone looking for volunteer and community service opportunities. The reason this site is highlighted is not only due to its large database of opportunities, but also the ability to search virtual volunteer programs as well. Take a look at the site and type “earth day” in the search bar to find several in-person and virtual opportunities to volunteer to promote environmental action and green living.

How are you celebrating Earth Day? DO you know of any other volunteer opportunities you would like to share? Let us know in the comments!

Access NOVAConnect to identify your fall priority registration date. Fall open registration for all students begins on May 5. Summer registration is currently open for all students. Check the schedule of classes in NOVA Connect and follow this tutorial to help you search for online classes through NOVA Online. Make sure you change the date to reflect the term you are looking to register for (summer ’15 or fall ’15).

Are you thinking about an online course through NOVA Online, but not sure if it is right for you? Review our Furthering your education with NOVA Online recording to see if online learning is a right fit for your current educational needs. You could also take the Smarter Measure assessment to see how your personal learning styles will work with online courses.

Wednesday – Conducting a Job Search – Virtual – 12:15 – 1pm. This 45 minute webinar will focus on basic strategies for conducting a job search. Topics covered will include creating a plan, identifying sources of job leads, and resume, cover letter, and interview basics. Registration is required.

Wednesday – NOVA Online Birthday Celebration – WO – 1-3pm. The Extended Learning Institute is turning 40! NOVA Online will be visiting all six campuses and invite students to join us in celebrating 40 years of online learning at NOVA! This week we will be at the Woodbridge campus. Come by and enjoy a cupcake to help us celebrate! Use #HappyBirthdayNOVA Online on Twitter to share your pictures!

Thursday – NOVA Online Book Club. Join NOVA Online’s Book Club! This semester we will read “How I Live Now” by Meg Rosoff. After you sign up, you will gain access to the book club’s discussion board. We will end the book club with a live viewing of the movie adaptation this Thursday! Sign up today and watch the movie with us! Register here.

Thursday – How to Prepare for Finals Webinar – 1:00 – 1:30 pm. This 30 min live session will focus on topics and strategies to help ease anxiety and help you study smart such as: early preparation, planning your approach and taking the exam. Sign up now and promote your success! Register here.

All Week – Money Smart Week – Do you know where your money is going each week? Do you have a financial plan? This week we will feature posts around making smart money choices. Do you have any questions about using financial aid? Use the Student Support Center to get your questions answered.

Resource of the Week – Review this list of the 50 best apps for surviving finals from OnlineUniversities.com. What study apps are your favorite? What helps get your through studying for finals? Share with us!

Summer registration is currently open for all students and fall priority registration opens this week. Access NOVAConnect to identify your fall priority registration date. Fall open registration for all students begins on May 5. Check the schedule of classes in NOVA Connect and follow this tutorial to help you search for online classes through NOVA Online. Make sure you change the date to reflect the term you are looking to register for (summer ’15 or fall ’15).

Are you thinking about an online course through NOVA Online, but not sure if it is right for you? Review our Furthering your education with NOVA Online recording to see if online learning is a right fit for your current educational needs. You could also take the Smarter Measure assessment to see how your personal learning styles will work with online courses.

All Week- Pedometer Challenge. Participate in the NOVA Online Pedometer Challenge through our Health and Wellness Interest Group! Compete and share experiences with other students by tracking your average daily steps for a month as well as create personal health and wellness goals. Request to join the Google Community to connect with fellow NOVA Online students. Any questions – email NOVA OnlineStuLife@nvcc.edu.

All Week- NOVA Online Book Club. Join NOVA Online’s Book Club! This semester we will read “How I Live Now” by Meg Rosoff. After you sign up, you will gain access to the book club’s discussion board. We will end the book club with a live viewing of the movie adaptation! So, don’t wait and sign up today! Register here.

Wednesday – Spring Fling & NOVA Online Birthday Celebration – MA – 11-2pm. The Extended Learning Institute is turning 40! NOVA Online will be visiting all six campuses and invite students to join us in celebrating 40 years of online learning at NOVA! This week we will be at Manassas and joining the Spring Fling Festivities! Stop by and learn more about NOVA Online!

Resource of the Week – Stress Management and Coping Skills Support Group – Access Hope is offering free group counseling services for students at the Alexandria campus. The group is open to all NOVA students. Contact Ms. Grace Gray at ggray@thewomenscenter.org for more information.

The Red Flag Campaign is a public awareness campaign designed to address dating violence and promote the prevention of dating violence on college campuses. The campaign was created using a “bystander intervention” strategy, encouraging friends and other campus community members to “say something” when they warning signs (“red flags”) for dating violence in a friend’s relationship. What are some of those red flags?

• Constant phone calls, texts, e-mails, or messages throughout the day or showing up unexpectedly
• Telling you how to dress or act
• Take your money or take advantage of you in other ways
• Try to isolate you and control whom you see or where you go
• Blame you for how they treat you, or for anything bad that happens.

Dating/partner violence is about power and control. Research indicates that in 21% of college dating relationships, one of the partners is being abused. College aged women (16-24) experience the highest per capita rate of intimate partner violence. Recognize a red flag in a friend’s relationship? Violence and abuse in relationships usually continues and often gets worse over time if no action is taken to stop it. You can help your friend by being honest about your concerns. Say something!

If you are in need of services or have questions regarding red flags in a relationship, please contact NOVA SAS at nova.sas@nvcc.edu or text/call 703-338-0834 (24 hours / 7 days a week). We can help you approach a friend to let them know that you are concerned and help guide them to resources.

-Written by: Angela Acosta, Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Outreach Specialist, NOVACares Office 

1 in 5 college women will experience sexual assault during their college career.  In spite of this, sexual assault is a crime that is rarely talked about and even more rarely reported.  Anyone in our NOVA community can be a victim, not just students.

Sexual assault survivors are not alone. NOVA Sexual Assault Services (SAS) aims to address issues of sexual assault, stalking, and dating/partner violence by providing free confidential support and services to any member of the NOVA family.  We assist students as well as faculty, staff, and immediate family members, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Victims need support during and after such a crisis and we are here to help.

NOVA SAS provides the first line of contact for members of our community experiencing these difficulties. Besides offering telephone or in-person crisis intervention and support, we can accompany victims to police and/or court interviews as well as to the hospital or academic meetings.

Contact NOVA SAS at 703-338-0834 or by email at NOVA.SAS@nvcc.edu. We are available to help or support a victim in the best and safest way possible 24 hours a day. NOVA SAS is a program of the NOVACares Office.

-Written by: Angela Acosta, Sexual Assault Services (SAS) Outreach Specialist, NOVACares Office 

Summer Registration opens for all students on Tuesday, March 31. Check the schedule of classes in NOVA Connect and follow this tutorial to help you search for online classes through NOVA Online. If you register before April 26 payment is due by 5pm on Monday, April 27, or your classes may be dropped. If you register after April 27, your tuition will be due by 5pm the next business day. Don’t wait to register!

All Week- Pedometer Challenge. Participate in the NOVA Online Pedometer Challenge through our Health and Wellness Group! Compete and share experiences with other students by tracking your average daily steps for a month as well as create personal health and wellness goals. First 50 students who sign up get a FREE NOVA Online Pedometer. Challenge starts begins April 6th! Register here.

All Week- NOVA Online Book Club. Join NOVA Online’s Book Club! This semester we will read “How I Live Now” by Meg Rosoff. After you sign up, you will gain access to the book club’s discussion board. We will end the book club with a live viewing of the movie adaptation! So, don’t wait and sign up today! Register here.

Wednesday – NOVA Online Birthday Celebration. 1-3pm. The Extended Learning Institute is turning 40! NOVA Online will be visiting all six campuses and invite students to join us in celebrating 40 years of online learning at NOVA! This week we will be at Annandale! Festivities will include birthday treats, party games, and learn more about options with online learning at NOVA!

Resource of the Week – Do you have upcoming final exams and  papers due? Need to organize your ideas? Check out Idea Sketch. This app will help you brainstorm and organize your thoughts to help you prepare outlines for final papers, and help you study for exams. Available in the apple store and Google play.