Published on: April 8, 2026
An ATIXA Testimonial by Kira-Marie Wimbert, M.S., MBA
As an international student-athlete from Germany, I developed a unique perspective on how university culture and size shape student experience. I was first introduced to Title IX as an undergraduate athlete, where I initially understood it primarily as a law addressing sexual assault. My interest and knowledge grew during five semesters as a graduate assistant in a Title IX office.
Now, as Deputy Title IX Coordinator at the University of Southern Mississippi, I continue to explore how Title IX can inform our campus sexual violence prevention and education efforts. Our office is intentionally present across campus, building relationships with students so they feel comfortable engaging with us.
We want students to see us as a trusted resource, not just an office they visit when something is wrong. This mindset guides everything we do, starting with being approachable and human. ATIXA helped me structure this practice and understand how to build effective programs tailored to our campus community.
Making Prevention Visible and Fun
ATIXA’s Prevention, Program Assessment, and Partnerships certification course provided me with a stronger framework for understanding and improving our existing prevention efforts at Southern Miss. We design our programs to meet students where they are, and this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month theme is Brewing a Consent Culture. We even created themed t-shirts that students and staff actually want to wear.
Our programming includes Planting Seeds of Consent, where participants decorate pots and plant Black-Eyed Susan seeds (the university’s official flower) while learning about Title IX resources. We also host Spilling the Tea on Sexual Violence, an event with representatives from Counseling Services, University Police, and our crisis intervention center, so students know where to find support. Additional programs like Therapy Dog Day, Denim Day, and Do’s and DoNots (with free donuts!) create friendly entry points into more serious topics. We also collaborate with ROTC and their Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program to connect our military community with Title IX resources.
We’ve also focused on making our office more welcoming by updating the décor, which has encouraged more students to stop by. This work is visible and engaging, but the ATIXA course challenged me to think more critically about its impact.
Amplifying the Message Through Athletics and Social Media
Collaboration with university athletics has helped us bring prevention messaging into high-visibility spaces. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we partnered with the football team, and for Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we partnered with the baseball team.
Coordinated social media campaigns across @usm_titleix, @southernmissfb, @southernmissbsb, and @southernmissathletics supported these initiatives. By cross-posting videos, sharing consistent messaging, and maintaining a presence at games, we integrated prevention into everyday campus culture. This approach makes prevention something students regularly see, hear, and engage with, rather than something separate.
It’s Fun, But Does It Work? Measuring What Matters
One of the most valuable takeaways from this training was the emphasis on connecting programming and marketing to measurable outcomes. Before the training, I thought about success primarily through participation and visibility. ATIXA helped clarify that those are only part of the picture. The real question is whether these efforts are influencing campus climate.
Climate surveys are essential to answering that question. They reveal how students experience their environment, what they understand about prevention, and where gaps exist. They also push us to view our community more expansively. While athletics and Greek life are often prioritized, other populations, including international students and those outside major student groups, may be less effectively reached, something that often becomes clear through data.
This is an area where we are still growing. The training reinforced that our assessments must be intentional, inclusive, and ongoing. It shifted my perspective from simply creating programs to ensuring they are data-informed.
Learning from Leaders in the Field
ATIXA’s faculty members enhance the training experience with their practical, approachable style. They fostered an environment for honest conversation, reflection, and shared learning between institutions, all while providing clear, immediately applicable strategies.
The strength of ATIXA trainings consistently lies in its presenters. In a previous course, Title IX Investigation Foundations Level Two: Investigation Skills & Report Writing for Higher Education, I learned about trauma-informed interviewing and the importance of being supportive, neutral, and respectful, particularly when individuals may have experienced trauma. Together, these trainings have helped me integrate prevention, response, and assessment into a more cohesive method.
Turning Engagement Into Impact
Prevention can be fun, visible, and uniting. However, it must also be intentional, measurable, and inclusive. That’s how Title IX moves from simple compliance to meaningful impact.
Ready to start brewing a consent culture on your campus? ATIXA trainings give you the tools to turn creative programming into measurable, meaningful impact. Enroll today.