Dawn Novak offers interactive presentations and workshops to students and front-line service professionals.
An overview of Dawn Novak's "Healthy Relationships" presentation
“I know when I speak that I bring Natalie and her story to life for my audience. I am a living link to a real life account; a tragic narrative that could be anybody’s story.”
As an educator, Dawn realizes the importance of relevant and engaging learning experiences. Through video, group work, focused brainstorming, drama and improvisation, Dawn presents Natalie's story and focuses on the spectrum of relationship possibilities in a way that resonates with youth and adults alike.
Healthy Relationships
Audience: secondary, college and university students; also beneficial for parent groups, educators and school administrators.
Venue: classrooms, school divisions, whole schools
Content: These made-to-order multimedia presentations are designed to help students and educators recognize the disparity of relationships. Dating relationships are examined on a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy to abusive. Students are presented with information regarding, sexual harassment, sexual coercion and sexual assault.
In addition to the basic presentation, other topics frequently requested by educators include:
- how relationships are affected by gender and social stereotypes
- using bystander intervention to create safe, respectful school environments
- strategies to be safer and more aware
- how to access help and provide support for yourself or a friend
- school policy and procedure for relationship or sexual violence
Pricing: Contact us to discuss school rates
Missed Opportunities
Audience: police, Crowns, parole and probation services, women’s shelter workers, victim service workers, agencies or individuals providing support or services to victims of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Venue: conferences, workshops
Content: This presentation examines the specific involvement and interactions of social agencies and services involved in the case of Natalie Novak. Natalie was a twenty year old university student. In 2006 she became a victim of domestic homicide. Best practices indicate that her death was both predictable and preventable.
The presentation is informative and deeply relevant to those who are working with victims of Intimate Partner Violence. Reflecting on Missed Opportunities focuses on the chronological timeline of events involving the victim from the onset of the first assault until the homicide sixteen months later.
Pricing: Contact us to discuss corporate, agency and organization rates
Endorsements
"I have had an amazing opportunity of working with Dawn Novak and her husband over the past 2 years. One of my roles is to provide presentations to high school students at my two local high schools with respect to relationships and domestic violence. Last year I was introduced to Dawn, and I soon learned what an incredible woman she was."
– PC Karen Sinnaeve, Community Safety Officer, Tecumseh OPP
"Dawn Novak became an anti-violence activist in the most difficult way a person can experience, through the murder of her daughter Natalie by an ex-boyfriend. Her vision has been honed by her drive to understand the dynamics of gender based violence and make sense, if such a thing is possible, of Natalie’s death. Her exploration has led her to examine our criminal justice system in detail, and to know what went wrong and what might have been done differently to protect Natalie."
– Lauren Power, Director, Muskoka Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services
"Dawn Novak wasn’t a person that lectured us. She spoke about a serious topic but made you feel comfortable enough to ask questions. You could feel her passion for this topic. The presentation made me aware of these situations. It taught me the differences between equality and controlling. A very eye opening presentation!"
- Fiona, High School Student
"Dawn brings her experience together, 30+ years as a formal educator and her personal tragedy, to give the most engaging presentation about developing and maintaining healthy relationships. Her multi-media presentation provides us with insight into what healthy relationships are and why they are so crucial to our existence."
– Kelly DeMos, Teacher, Bracebridge & Muskoka Lakes Secondary School
Reach
Since 2011, Dawn has presented to over 13,000 people at schools and organizations around Ontario. The following is a partial list of presentations she has done:
St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School, Bracebridge • Highland Secondary, Dundas • Victims Com. Bracebridge • Gravenhurst High School • Domestic Vioence Coordinating Team, New Liskeard • Resurrection Secondary School, Waterloo • Nipissing University, Bracebridge • Parry Sound Secondary School • Almaguin Highlands Secondary School, Sundridge • Domestic Violence Coordinating Team, Lindsey • Victims Symposium, Kingston • Land of Lakes Public School , Burks Falls • Victim Services, Sturgeon Falls • Victim Services, North Bay • Retired Teachers of Ontario, Bracebridge • Bracebridge & Muskoka Lakes Secondary School, Bracebridge • Ontario Victims Crime Board, Toronto • St. Theresa’s Secondary School, Richmond Hill • Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (superintendents) Barrie • Diva Night, Muskoka Women's Advocacy Group • Wahta Mohawk Women's Group • Huntsville High School (Classroom) • Almonte Secondary School • Nipissing University, course, North Bay •Ursuline Collegiate, Chatham • St Clair’s College, Chatham • Domestic Violence conference, Chatham • One Billion Rising, Nipissing University Campus, Bracebridge • Police Services, Windsor • Muskoka Victim Services volunteer training, Bracebridge • Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services RISC Conference, Hamilton • MCSCS Supervisors, Sudbury • Parry Sound Walk • Volunteers Conference, Huntsville • MCSCS conference, Barrie • Huron County Secondary School • Victim Services Conference, Huron • West Ferris Secondary School, North Bay • Parent Council, WFS, North Bay • Probation and Parole Services, Barrie • National Day Of Remembrance, OPP Orillia • Windsor Police Service, Windsor • Vista Academy, Tecumseh • L’Essor Secondary, Tecumseh • University of Guelph, Humber • MCSCS North Bay • N RISC Conference, Thunder Bay • Kingsville Secondary School • Essex Secondary School • Leamington Secondary School • Cardinal Carter Secondary, Leamington • OPP Training, Orillia