WHO ARE WE
Our Mission
MESA is a statewide program committed to empowering communities and preventing violence across Indiana.
MESA started as an organization focused mainly on preventing sexual violence, but we have expanded our work to encompass other community empowerment programs and strategies. MESA is housed in the College of Agriculture at Purdue University in the Department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication (ASEC).
MESA translates to "table" in Spanish. In that spirit, we invite all communities to the table to develop culturally affirming strategies that grow stronger and healthier communities.
MESA programs:
- Promote safe environments within communities, families, and populations through outreach, advocacy, leadership development, and training.
- Strive to prevent bullying and violence in schools by implementing research-based prevention curricula, building strong support teams within schools through professional training and technical assistance, and fostering a safe school climate.
- Support farm workers by advocating safe and fair working conditions, providing essential resources, and addressing systemic issues that contribute to the mistreatment of farm workers.
- Serve all communities to ensure everyone has a platform for their voice to be heard.
MESA has a long history of advocating for and supporting the empowerment of communities. MESA continues to amplify the voices of farmworkers. We invite you to explore our site to learn more about our programs and how to support them. If you don’t find the answers to your questions here, we are happy to assist you—please visit individual program pages or contact us for more information.