Celebrating 20 Years of PreventConnect

Today marks 20 years of PreventConnect’s work to build capacity for local state, territorial, national, and Tribal agencies and organizations to prevent violence.

On March 17, 2005, Prevention Connection, a project of CALASA, hosted its first web conference: Toward a Community Solution: Advancing Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women.

A lot has happened since then. Prevention Connection became PreventConnect, CALCASA evolved into ValorUS®, and the work to end sexual and intimate partner violence has shifted in bold and transformative ways. But one thing has remained constant: PreventConnect’s commitment to building a community of prevention practitioners dedicated to advancing the primary prevention of sexual and intimate partner violence.

For two decades, PreventConnect, a VALOR project, has sparked critical conversations and grown into the largest online prevention community in the country. We have hosted hundreds of web conferences for thousands of participants, published hundreds of blogs, launched a monthly podcast featuring evaluators, researchers, and preventionists, and traveled the country to strengthen partnerships with national and state leaders.  Along the way, we have witnessed prevention become more expansive, been inspired by the creativity of local communities, and have been energized by the power of cross-sector collaborations.

And we’re just getting started. 

We are excited to announce that PreventConnect has been awarded funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the next 5-years, through an open and competitive process.  

This award marks a pivotal moment for PreventConnect and for violence prevention. Today, more than ever, we are committed to this work and the values we uphold. We look forward to the next five years of connection, learning, and action as we work toward a safer, healthier future.