Training Institute
Lead our Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP®) in your community.
Many thanks to Sagalyn Family Fund and the Bingham Program for their support of our Training Institutes!
To date, over 250 people have gone through our Training Institute and can now deliver RSVP® to youth in their own schools and community organizations!
Our upcoming Training Institute schedule is as follows:
- May 1-2: Bangor (Register here.)
- May 20-21: South Paris (Register here.)
- June 25-26: Skowhegan (Register here.)
- July 30-31: Portland (Register here.)
Please contact mark@maineboystomen.org with any questions about our upcoming Training Institutes, to request a scholarship, or to schedule a Training Institute with your organization.
Did you know that you can receive a 50% reimbursement on your registration fee through the Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce at the Maine Community College System? Visit their website to submit your request.
We have 25 years of experience in helping boys reach their full potential to become emotionally healthy, respectful, non-violent men. In response to greatly increased demand for our Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP®), we launched our Training Institute to share our knowledge with others who can in turn help us reach more youth. The RSVP® curriculum is highly adaptable and can be used with a variety of age groups and all genders.
RSVP® is grounded in research, evidence-based practices, and self- and third-party evaluations. In this unique professional development opportunity (CEUs may be available to Maine educators), you will join over 250 adults who can now bring RSVP® to their schools, youth organizations, alternative education programs, sports teams, and other settings where they work with youth. We’ve trained teachers, school administrators, counselors, after school program staff, parole officers, parents, domestic violence advocates, athletic coaches, and many more.
The Training Institute covers six topics over two days:
- Building Support & Safety – “Why boys?”
- Gender Stereotypes
- Empathy & Consent
- Beyond the Binary & Narrow Masculinity
- Upstander Intervention
- Facilitation & Storytelling Techniques
After you have taken the Training Institute, you will be enrolled in our online community of youth-serving adults who together build a community of support and continued learning.
Our ultimate goal is to cultivate the leadership within each participant to do the self-discovery and self-reflection necessary to challenge sexism and stand up as leaders to prevent, interrupt, and ultimately end gender bias, harassment, abuse and violence.
“Students at Camden Rockport Middle School continue to benefit from our multi-year partnership with Maine Boys to Men. Through their Training Institute, we now deliver their violence prevention program independently as part of our character education program. Middle school is such a critical time to guide boys toward a healthy version of masculinity and this is some of the most valuable learning they can do.” – Matthew Smith, (former) Assistant Principal, Camden Rockport Middle School
“This training made me realize how much of today’s violence and trauma is rooted in boys not being allowed to be fully human. This might be some of the most important work of our time.” -Training Institute participan2
Contact us to explore how to bring a Training Institute to your school or community!