FORT KNOX, Ky. — After almost a year of planning and curation, the new Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Program (SHARP) two new challenge rooms are open and ready to help educate the workforce.
When Garrison Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) Amanda Moore took her position in April 2024, she said that one of her goals was to make SHARP training more interactive, and with the new bar and day room challenge rooms – making four total rooms now available for use on the installation. That goal is now a reality.
“This is a different approach,” said Moore. “It's hands on and you have to work with your teammates in order to get to the next clue. You can't do this alone, so you have to pay attention and that makes you start having those intimate discussions.”
Capt. Derek Mendola, 3rd Medical Recruiting Battalion, 9th Brigade executive officer, said the nature of the training really reminded him how important it is to be mindful of what one says and does.
“Even if [what you say] isn’t malicious or intentional, it could really affect somebody,” said Mendola.
The rooms, though similar in functionality have different messages to teach providing an avenue for continuity of training. Moore said in the bar room, one will learn more about sexual harassment and how it can start off so small that it goes unnoticed, like the derogatory music played in the background during each iteration of training, and the situation becomes increasingly dangerous.
Moore said the day room focuses on resources for individuals – whether that be the hospital for an exam after an assault or the posters in everyday work environments. Both of these new rooms are located in Pike Hall. The two original rooms – one modeled after an office scenario and the other a barracks room – are located in the IDES building at 1492 Tank Battalion Road.
“With the bar room, I wanted it to be more interactive, more fun; with the day room they really have to work,” said Moore. “Because that space is so small, they really have to use their critical thinking skills to see what they can find in such a small area.”
Mendola said that these interactive rooms offer a fun alternative to the PowerPoint slides most are used to.
“The challenge room was definitely a new and better experience for me with SHARP,” said Mendola. “I think in this generation, where everything’s got to be immediate, this is definitely a good way of learning. It’s a solid hour of team building, finding clues and learning about the new policies and general resources when it comes to the SHARP program along the way.”
Moore said that she is happy to see that leaders are already showing interest in learning more about the program by utilizing these new spaces.
“I doubted myself a few times initially, but now that the rooms are here and everyone is liking this form of facilitating training versus the normal PowerPoint slides that they're used to, it's really exciting,” said Moore.
Though specifics are yet to be solidified, she sees the challenge room initiative continuing to grow and potentially becoming an alternative SHARP training option throughout the Army.
“I just love that people are getting it and that people that are not even from or stationed at Fort Knox, like some of the medical recruiting brigade that just came through, are coming out here to use these rooms as part of their training.
“These rooms are doing what they’re supposed to.”
Editor’s note: Those who would like to schedule a time to utilize one of the new challenge rooms can simply email usarmy.knox.id-training.mbx.sharp@army.mil with their request.
Visit Fort Knox News at www.army.mil/knox for all of Central Kentucky's latest military news and information.
| Date Taken: | 03.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.18.2025 08:08 |
| Story ID: | 493084 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, New SHARP challenge rooms raise the ‘bar’ for interactive training at Fort Knox, by Savannah Baird, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
