Events
(See Media Page for interviews)
Upcoming events
Sunday, January 26, 2025: Kindness Day, in honor of Tommy Raskin, sponsored by Small Things Matter at Piney Branch Elementary School, 7510 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, 10:30 am - 1:00 pm. Join us again this year to spin the wheel, ask questions, get a sticker and empower children/students, educate adults, talk and learn about consent and boundaries. 25% of all January sales from Not Child’s Play go to Small Things Matter.
Empower children/students, educate adults, talk and learn about consent and boundaries. Let's keep our kids safe! We will have a game and conversations where people of all ages get to make choices and assert their agency! Come spin the wheel (if you want to), ask and/or answer questions (if you want to), and pick a sticker (if you want to). We will have handouts and copies of Not Child's Play: An Anthology on Brother-Sister Incest available. 25% of all sales will go to STM. Everyone who learns about consent and boundaries, who set boundaries and ask for consent benefit! Our communities all benefit from these conversations.
March 8, 2025: Student Organized Consent Conference in Seattle https://www.universityprep.org/student-life/student-organized-consent-conference-in-seattle This conference is modeled after the Georgetown Day School summit (see below). All I can say is you don’t want to miss it!
Past Events
December 14, 2024
Takoma Park Book Fair, 1:00-4:00 pm at Busboys & Poets in Takoma
Again, this event does does not disappoint! 30 local authors and lots of spirit. I got to share a table with Rick Stack, whom I know from volunteering at the Wendt Center Grief Camp for children. Our table, with his book on grief and my book on SSA, was called “intense”, “the real stuff”, “powerful.” We started saying it was the table with topics that no one wants to talk about, and those who stayed after hearing that had lots of conversation with us.
November 22 & 23, 2024
Georgetown Day School Summit on Sexual Assault and Consent, Washington D.C.
https://www.gds-consentsummit.com/
How amazing it was to be with nearly 500 people, mostly high school students, who wanted to talk about, prevent, and heal from sexual assault! The students put on their 9th (!) annual Summit with a survivor panel, movie, keynote, 30+ hour long sessions. They took such good care of us with quiet space, DCRape Crisis Center counselors, and feeding us meals. The care and brilliance they put into this event is unlike anything I’ve seen. I wish all high schools had this type of event. Come to the 10th annual Summit in November, 2025!
November 9, 2024
The Power of Public Vulnerability: Our Stories, Our Selves
Closing Presentation for Seasoned Not Old 7th Annual Conference
Thank you Bonnie, Francine, Shana, Dave, the other presenters, and all the participants! What a wonderful day to think and talk about the power of public vulnerability!
(Photo to come)
October 10, 2024
Thriving Survivors Conference “Focusing on and Responding to Sibling Sexual Abuse and Trauma”
Glasgow, Scotland
Thank you Thriving Survivors and all of the conference participants! To have a conference focused specifically on sibling sexual abuse was brilliant, and so needed!
September 19, 2024
Bravery is Contagious: A Gathering of Survivors of SSA
Sponsored by SARSAS
Led by Risa Shaw
What an amazing remote gathering of SSA survivors! So much courage and connection and caring! Thank you SARSAS! We look forward to more survivor events!
Sponsored by SARSAS and the sibling sexual abuse project in the UK
June 25 & 26, 2024
Envision: The Future of Prevention Conference
Hosted by The Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
JHU Bloomberg Center, Washington, D.C.
Not Child’s Play and Risa Shaw had an exhibit booth and attended the conference as a Participant Collaborator
We are grateful for the networking, research, presentations, conversations, and opportunities to work to prevent and heal from childhood sexual abuse. We look forward to more collaborations!
April 20, 2024
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center, 208 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
Rainbow Book Fair - NYC
Thanks Rainbow Book Fair and attendees! We had many great conversations and are so happy that you took Not Child’s Play and stickers out in the world with you.
January 27, 2024
Takoma Park, MD
Kindness Day
We had a table that focused on consent, boundaries, bravery, trust, and connection, with a spinner game that pointed people to questions. Risa interacted with people of all ages, preschoolers to adults and everyone in between. Many youth sent their friends over to spin the wheel and talk about the questions, some returned themselves for longer conversations. Several adults who work at schools inquired about Not Child’s Play coming to their school for discussion and activities. Several people walked away with a copy of Not Child’s Play. Anyone could pick a sticker and/or take a handout. Risa gave out 91 stickers and 35 handouts, and we had amazing conversations and interactions.
December 16, 2023
Takoma Park, MD
Takoma Park Book Fair
Risa Shaw, with Not Child’s Play, was one of 33 local authors at this packed annual event for Takoma Park authors who have published in the last two years.
