Why we built this series

After launching our roadmap to end childhood sexual violence, one of the clearest needs our field raised was how to communicate better about an issue so often wrapped in stigma and silence, and so widely assumed to be inevitable. Part of what makes it feel that way is the narrative frame that blames a few "bad apples," quietly convincing us that childhood sexual violence comes down to a few individual "monsters." As such, the only solutions seem to rest on crime and punishment, and there is nothing we can do to truly prevent it. It is so normalized that we rarely question it.

But we, in the field, know that childhood sexual violence cannot be reduced to that. It is part of a structural problem whose roots we need to dismantle. We know evidence-based solutions exist. We have frameworks, we have tested programs, and organizations across the world are already doing remarkable work to prevent and respond to childhood sexual violence. It is preventable and it is solvable.

So how do we begin to change the narrative and talk about this as the systemic, preventable problem it is? How do we write a different story together, one that doesn't hold us back in disbelief and inaction? To Zero, in partnership with Spitfire Strategies, created a program to support organizations across the field to tell that story: one that highlights solutions, that shows the evidence, that celebrates the work being done, and above all, that instills hope.

Every session in this series is designed to help you tell that story. You'll leave with frameworks, worksheets, and examples you can apply to your communications work right away, whatever the size of your organization. Below you can find all our Learning Labs, covering working with reporters, ethical storytelling, countering opposition, campaign planning, and social media strategy, all grounded in Growing Up Safe, To Zero's narrative and messaging guide.

Next learning lab

Using Social Media to Promote Prevention

Learning Lab #5 · 10 September 2026

Around the world, social media is many people's main source of news. Whether you're trying to reach millennials who live their lives on Instagram or Gen Zers who turn to TikTok to search for information, your organization needs a strategic plan to get your messages out.

This session covers best practices for building a social media strategy that serves your communications goals, practical tips for creating content that advances prevention narratives, and guidance on partnering with content creators as trusted messengers.

Past sessions

Planning to Win: Posting Campaign Wins in Challenging Times

Learning Lab #4 · 11 June 2026

This session breaks campaign planning into a clear, step-by-step framework, from defining your win to choosing the strategy that moves your decision-makers to act. You'll walk away ready to plan campaigns that shift behavior, policy, and practice, with Spitfire's Planning to Win guide as your reference.

Messaging for Prevention: Overcoming Opposition, Creating Hope

Learning Lab #3 · 9 April 2026

As opposition to prevention work grows more organized and more visible, how we respond matters.
This session covers how to counter it with messaging grounded in hope and prevention, and comes with a Countering Opposition Worksheet to map your own strategy.

Harnessing the Power of Storytelling to End Childhood Sexual Violence

Learning Lab #2 · 12 February 2026

Stories change minds, but only when they're told well and ethically. This session covers how to craft impactful stories and work through the questions behind them (who benefits, who might be harmed, who should be involved), with a Storytelling Worksheet and insights from To Zero's Fundraising Guide.

Partnering with Reporters to Shift Narratives About Childhood Sexual Violence

Learning Lab #1 · 11 December 2025

Media coverage often focuses on punishment and rarely on solutions. This session covers how to build relationships with reporters and shift coverage toward prevention, solutions, and hope. It includes a Media Outreach Toolkit with step-by-step guidance to help you do it.