TRU social work and wellness centre initiative expands consent education to India
A program developed at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) to help youth talk about consent and healthy relationships is expanding internationally, thanks in part to a TRU alum bringing the work back to her home community in India.
Consent Café — an activity-based consent education, communication and sexualized violence prevention program — was co-founded in 2020 by Dr. Tanya Pawliuk, assistant professor in the school of social work and human service, and Chelsea Corsi, senior wellness coordinator at the TRU Wellness Centre. The program creates space for young people to learn about everyday experiences of consent and relationships in schools and communities.
The program has already had an impact close to home. During its 2022/23 pilot with School District 73, Pawliuk and Corsi delivered 33 Consent Cafés — 131 lessons in total — reaching about 851 Grade 8 students in nine urban and rural schools.
Creating space for conversations about consent
Assistant Professor Dr. Tanya Pawliuk, School of Social Work and Human Service.
Talking about consent, communication, relationships, and sexualized violence prevention is hard work. It’s “heart work,” as Corsi and Pawliuk often describe it.
One of the students involved in that work was Sabreet Kaur Ghumman, now a Bachelor of Social Work alum, who served as the Consent Café program assistant and consent mentor during the 2022/23 pilot.
“I am grateful to learn from leaders who bring such passion, care and intention to their practice,” said Ghumman. “Dr. Pawliuk and Ms. Corsi do not simply talk about change; they actively challenge traditional approaches, break barriers, and continuously explore new possibilities for community-engaged and culturally responsive education.”
Her experience as a consent mentor inspired her to bring the program to her community of Gurdaspur, India, through a Bachelor of Social Work field school.
“Supporting the initiative to bring the Consent Café from Kamloops to Gurdaspur was deeply personal for me,” said Ghumman.
“In my community, conversations about consent and healthy relationships are still taboo, and those who want to engage often lack safe, supportive and trauma-informed spaces. I knew this model could make a meaningful difference for young people back home.”
As a consent mentor in Kamloops, Ghumman saw how youth-centred, strengths-based education can create opportunities for prevention and empowerment. She sees herself as a bridge connecting two communities working toward similar goals.
“For me, this is long-term, upstream work — grounded in prevention, youth empowerment and community wellbeing. Bringing this to Gurdaspur is not just a project; it is part of a broader vision for sustainable social change and a gentle shift in community dialogue around consent across generations.”
Student learning across borders
Senior Wellness Coordinator Chelsea Corsi, Faculty of Student Development.
Planning for a Consent Café India field school has been underway for nearly two years. The Summer 2026 Consent Café and SOCW 3300: International Field Studies collaboration, running Aug. 3 to 15, will allow TRU students to work alongside partners in India while learning about relational approaches to community-based social work.
For Corsi, helping create an international learning opportunity for students is especially meaningful.
“When I was in the third year of my nursing program, I had the amazing opportunity to complete my five-week practicum in Nepal,” she said. “It was a transformational educational and life experience for me. It is truly a dream come true to now be a faculty member who can co-create such an experience for TRU students.”
Drawing on international field school expertise from TRU World and faculty colleagues, the Canada-India collaboration has established a once-in-a lifetime learning experience. In Gurdaspur, field school students will engage in knowledge exchanges, facilitate Consent Cafés, and support consent, gender-based violence, health, social justice, and sexualized violence prevention education. They will also experience site visits, guest lectures, travel and social opportunities.
Launched on March 2, initial interest in the summer field school has been strong, and while SOCW 3300 is a social work course, the field school welcomes interested TRU students from any discipline to apply.
Transformative impact
Pawliuk says the Canada-India collaboration reflects the importance of building relationships across communities.
“In a time of uncertainty and divisiveness, it feels especially important and exciting to commit to courageous collective care and reciprocal learning across international campuses and communities,” she said. “Especially because this work is student-led.”
Pawliuk’s recent research has explored the impact of the Consent Café program on consent mentors. Her study found the learning experience was transformative, shaping students’ professional identities.
For Ghumman, the consent mentor experience reshaped her understanding of community education as a tool for early intervention and empowerment.
“Through mentorship and encouragement, I developed a social work lens that helped me better understand communities and find my voice. I am a reflection of what that kind of support can nurture — both personally and professionally.”
Current TRU students interested in taking part in the Consent Café International Field School can contact Pawliuk and Corsi at [email protected].
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