Beyond Supplies: Dignity Grows University Tackles Period Poverty Roots

The platform functions as an interdisciplinary hub for healthcare providers, researchers, and nonprofit leaders to exchange strategies. Rather than focusing on simple access, the curriculum dissects why the crisis persists and how cultural taboos fuel silence and shame. Faculty member LaWonder McDowell, who also serves as Campus Chaplain for Central North Carolina University, emphasizes that the program connects academic research to real-world community experiences. By moving beyond textbooks, participants engage in live, two-hour virtual sessions that combine panel discussions with small-group mentorship to foster deeper, more nuanced policy advocacy.

In its inaugural year, the university has hosted three intensive courses, with two more planned for the winter. The curriculum addresses the long-term consequences of the crisis, such as chronic school absenteeism, workplace performance gaps, and the physical health risks associated with using unsafe menstrual alternatives. Hannah Joy Mason, founder of Adventure Girls and a course participant, noted that the training provides the necessary tools to dismantle stigma effectively. By equipping advocates with this broader perspective, the organization aims to shift the conversation from charity-based relief toward long-term, structural equity.