DMACC's National Crime Victims' Rights Week

NCVRW 2026

For the week of April 6, 2026, join us across DMACC locations to show support of survivors and victims of crime in our community.

This is an opportunity to learn about and participate in helping victims of crime feel validated and backed by local neighbors, family, friends, crime officials/experts, health providers, and more.

All events and activities are free and open to the public!

 

It's not what's wrong with you, but what happened to you - unknown

  • crime survivors
  • first responders
  • friends and families of survivors
  • health care providers
  • law enforcement officers
  • local community
  • those interested in self-care strategies
  • victim services providers or advocacy services


Contact DMACC professor Samantha O’Hara at sjohara@dmacc.edu with questions.

NCVRW at DMACC Events 2026

Ankeny Events

Monday, April 6

Bldg. 2, Room 10: 3:30 – 5:00 pm: Bingo NCVRW fundraiser held by DMACC criminal justice students.

Tuesday, April 7

Bldg. 5 Student/Dining Space: 8:00 am – 2:30 pm: DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available; NCVRW Historical Timeline on display; DMACC Libraries Literary Walk.

Bldg. 5 Black Box Theatre: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: “What They Wore” installation by the DMACC Fashion Design Program; “Creative Wall” installation by DMACC students and community survivors.

Bldg. 5 Student/Dining Space: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm: Children and Families of Iowa and Iowa Attorney General’s Office tabling event to share resources

Bldg. 5 Student/Dining Space: 11:30 am – 12:45 pm: Victim Support and Advocacy Tabling Event – many local governmental and non-governmental agencies to share resources

Bldg. 5 Student/Stage Space: 11:30 am – 12:45 pm: DMACC Cybersecurity Club and faculty to provide tips regarding digital footprints and open source intelligence activities

Bldg. 5 East Plaza by the Fountain: 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Human Services Club, students, and faculty, “Healing Bonfire”

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 C, H:

  • 8:00 am – 2:00 pm: Student Showcase Open House

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 E, D, F, G:

  • 8:15-9:15 am Session: Shannon Bogolin, Assistant Polk County Attorney (tentative).
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: Shannon Bogolin, Assistant Polk County Attorney(tentative).
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: Emma Dedic, Iowa Department of Corrections.
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Tuesday Keynote speaker: Cheyenne Hanson, “Transformation from Trauma to Survivor: Building a More Informed Community to be Stronger Together” Q&A, and book signing to follow

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 B, I:

  • 8:15-9:15 am Session: Open
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: ISU Admyre
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: Kate Burgess, artist, “Rock Painting to Relax” at the high-top tables by the Student Activities Office.
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Keynote Session]

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 A, J:

  • 8:15-9:15 am Session: David Gonzalez, Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, and Devon Greiter, Hope for Justice, “Human Trafficking: A Victim-Centered Approach”
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: Laura Christensen, Blank STAR Center, child advocacy centers.
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: Tiffany Allison, Soaring Hearts Foundation.
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Keynote Session]

Wednesday, April 8

Bldg. 5 Student/Dining Space: 8:00 am – 2:30 pm: DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available; NCVRW Historical Timeline on display; DMACC Libraries Literary Walk.

Bldg. 5 Black Box Theatre: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm: “What They Wore” installation by the DMACC Fashion Design Program; “Creative Wall” installation by DMACC students and community survivors.

Bldg. 5 Student/Dining Space: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: DMACC Cybersecurity Club and faculty to provide tips regarding digital footprints and open-source intelligence activities

Bldg. 5 East Entrance/Plaza by the Fountain: 11:30 am – 12:45 pm: NCVRW Better Together Community Walk, dignitaries speak 11:30-11:45 pm, and then walk to the pond and loop back

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 C, H:

  • 8:00 am – 2:00 pm: Student Showcase Open House and ARL Therapy Dog (time to be determined)

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 E, D, F, G:

  • 8:15-9:15 am Session: Kimberly Wills, Children and Families of Iowa, “More Than a Story: A Walk in Her Shoes Experience”
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: Open
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Better Together Community Walk]
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Wednesday Keynote Speaker: Roseann Sdoia, Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor, in collaboration with DMACC’s War and the Human Experience Speaker Series.

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 B, I:

  • 8:15 – 9:15 am Session: Quin Moss, DMACC, “Train your Nervous System through Yoga” (space for 20)
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: Margaret Lano and Jessica Winter, “The Intersection of Crisis Services & Law Enforcement: Urbandale Police Crisis Intervention Team”
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Better Together Community Walk]
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Keynote Session]

Bldg. 5 Conference Center, Rooms 1240 A, J:

  • 8:15 - 9:15 am Session: None.
  • 9:00 – 10:00 am: Session: ISU Admyre.
  • 10:00 – 11:00 am: Session: Shannon Knudsen, SAFE Center of Iowa.
  • 11:30 – 12:30 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Better Together CommunityWalk]
  • 1:00 – 2:00 pm: Session: [None. Please attend the Keynote Session]

Friday, April 10

Bldg. 2, Room 10, 1:00 – 2:15 pm: Speaker, Nikki Romer, National Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Why We’re Better Together in Community Response

Ames Hunziker Events

Tuesday, March 31

Morning and afternoon sessions with Soaring Hearts Foundation. More information to come.

Week of April 6

Community partners welcome to share resources. ACCESS will have an informational table. DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available. More information to come.

Boone Events

Wednesday, April 8

12:00 - 1:00 pm: “Hidden Scars,” speaker Cheyenne Hansen. More information to come.

Community partners welcome to share resources. DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available. More information to come.

Carroll Events

Wednesday, April 1

4:00 - 6:30 pm: ISU Admyre. Location: Knott’s Commons.

DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available

Newton Events

Tuesday, April 7

8:00 – 9:00 am: Victim support posters, created by students, on display in the main campus building atrium; creating “go-bags” to the Family Crisis Center of hygiene items for survivors.

11:30 – 12:30 pm: Community partners welcome to share resources. Family Crisis Center will have an informational table. DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available

Perry VanKirk Events

Hotel Pattee, Thursday, April 9

7:45 am – 9:15 am: Kimberly Willis, Children and Families of Iowa, “More Than a Story: A Walk in Her Shoes Experience”, Shannon Knudsen with the SAFE Center of Iowa, and a NCVRW Better Together Community Walk. DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available. NCVRW Historical Timeline will be available.

2:00 – 3:15 pm: Kimberly Willis with Children and Families of Iowa, “More Than a Story: A Walk in Her Shoes Experience”, Shannon Knudsen with the SAFE Center of Iowa, and a NCVRW Better Together Community Walk. DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available. NCVRW Historical Timeline will be available

Southridge Events

Tuesday, April 7

8:00 - 9:15 am: Kimberly Willis, Children and Families of Iowa, “More Than a Story: A Walk in Her Shoes Experience” with a criminal justice class; other Southridge classes are also welcome. More information to come.

DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available.

Templeton Events

More information coming soon

Transportation Institute Events

Friday, April 10

12:00 - 1:00 pm: Human Trafficking session with David Gonzalez with Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and Devon Greiter with Hope for Justice, “Human Trafficking: A Victim-Centered Approach”

This event may not open to the public. More information to come

Urban Events

Tuesday, April 7 

Bldg. 7, Room 170-171:

  • 11:15 - 12:15 pm: Emma Dedic

Between Bldg. 1 and 7:

  • "Chalk the Walk" - Chalk a Positive Message to Your Urban Community

Thursday, April 9 

Bldg. 7, Room 170-171:

  • 11:15 - 12:15 pm: Roseann Sdoia
  • 2:00 - 4:00 pm: Speed Friending, Location TBD, 

Week of April 6 

DMACC Libraries Literary Walk

DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available

West Events

Tuesday, April 7

9:30 am – 12:30 pm: ISU ADMYRE

Wednesday, April 8

8:00 – 9:00 am: ISU ADMYRE.

9:30 – 10:30 am: Speaker, Roseann Sidoia, a survivor of the Boston Marathon Bombing, presented by the DMACC War and Human Experience Speaker Series.

Thursday, April 9

8:00 – 3:00 pm: Student Showcase; Club West Displays; DMACC Libraries Literary Walk; DMACC Graphic Design stickers and buttons available.

9:45 – 10:45 am: Speakers from Urbandale Police Department’s Crisis Services Unit.

11:45 – 12:45 pm: West Des Moines Police Department Speaker and NCVRW Better Together Community Walk

988 Suicide Hotline

 

Call - 988

Chat

Text - 988

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming it - Helen Keller

Resources

Videos

DMACC’s Nondiscrimination Policy is available online. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all DMACC sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact 515-964-6234 or dso@dmacc.edu. If you need a sign language interpreter please complete the online Sign Language Interpreter Request.

 

For general information or questions, contact Samantha O’Hara, DMACC Criminal Justice Professor, sjohara@dmacc or 515-964-6667