As you may have seen on our website or social media, this past year has been exciting!

Oh the Places We Go!

In 2019, we conducted a national SASS Go Instructor training in Salt Lake City, Utah and doubled our instructor army. We now have 22 licensed instructors sharing SASS in their communities throughout the United States. With an even larger team, we cover even more ground. SASS Instructors trained women and girls in 15 different states and the District of Columbia in 2019. Way to go, everyone.

Oh the People We Reach!

In 2019, our SASS instructors trained over 3,200 women and girls in nearly 220 courses. We built partnerships with organizations serving some of our most vulnerable community members, including foster youth and women who have survived trafficking and abuse.

SASS programming has the ability to train girls as young as six and women in their nineties. It can also be offered in a variety of settings from community centers to places of worship. This year SASS trained students, faculty and staff on 16 different college campuses, including the University of Maryland, Clemson University, Washington State University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Wake Forest University, College of Charleston, East Tennessee State University, The University of Utah, Lenoir-Rhyne, Presbyterian College, Bowie State University, USC, Columbia International University, Salt Lake Community College, Columbia College, and the University of South Carolina Aiken.

We also trained students, faculty and staff in elementary, middle and high schools, including Hammond School, Ashley Hall, Heathwood Hall, Dutch Fork High School, Avalon High School, Buhl High School, Lake Carolina Elementary School, Dancing Moose Montessori School, Edisto High School, Davidson Day School, Episcopal High School, and Northside Christian School.

SASS Go trained over 40% of participants for free or a reduced cost. Being able to offer SASS programming to everyone, regardless of ability to pay, was one of the primary reasons for starting the nonprofit, and with your help we are thrilled to be reaching more women!

In addition, SASS Go courses were translated into Spanish and Mandarin, allowing us to reach women in different languages and laying ground work to reach even more. Continuing our collaborative work across borders, SASS Go presented to an international delegation from Ukraine through the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program discussing SASS Go’s work on preventing human trafficking.

Oh the Programming We Offer!

In 2019, courses for women and girls continued to gain momentum and Sassters. In addition, SASS Go expanded its service offerings to include educational programming for women and men relating to violence prediction and prevention, risk reduction techniques, instinct recognition, skills to advocate for oneself, how to enforce healthy boundaries, current interpersonal violence statistics, trends in criminal tactics, and much more. Whether businesses or schools, these programs are tailored to the community we are serving.

In order to reach even more college students, SASS Go partnered with ANDE Rapid DNA and facilitated a best practices summit in Longmont, Colorado with multiple higher education executives from across the state. We also designed and held an educational program for over 70 students from University of South Carolina and Columbia College focusing on preventing dating violence and providing college students with the tools to safeguard their lives. This program is a model that can be shared in college campuses and high schools served by SASS Go.

Oh the Organization We Build!

In March 2019, SASS Go was recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization, and we developed organizational systems to promote sustainable and strategic growth in 2020 and beyond.

We created a volunteer program and partnered with the University of South Carolina Athletic Department to offer student athletes volunteer opportunities to assist with SASS Go's programming at Epworth Children's Home. SASS Go also launched our first ever fundraising initiative. and received support from so many, including Dr. Katie Rodan and Gretchen Carlson. We expanded our website and social media platforms to grant for us a broader reach to our Sassters and more.

Oh What 2020 will Bring!

As we reflect on this past year, we will remember it as a purposefully dedicated time of expanding our borders, surmounting obstacles, and reaching new women and girls all over the country. As we move forward into 2020 we look forward to serving all of those seeking the preventative and restorative programming SASS Go offers.

We know that none of this would be possible without the prayers, support, and love of all of you. We look forward to all that we will do together in 2020 and all of the places we will GO!