We are excited to announce that we are opening our next Training Institute, a unique professional development opportunity for youth-serving adults, to the public! The two-day Training Institute will take place in Portland on December 6 and 7. Over the past 12 months, we’ve held successful Training Institutes in six Maine counties (Kennebec, Waldo, Penobscot, Washington, and Aroostook) as well as in Boston, Massachusetts, and we are pleased to once again offer this opportunity in Portland.
This train-the-trainer program was developed in 2018 in recognition of the effectiveness of our Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVPⓇ); the lack of comparable programs outside our direct service area in southern Maine; and the increasingly high demand for RSVPⓇ from schools and youth organizations. To date, 130 youth-serving adults from across New England have participated in the Training Institute and can now independently deliver RSVPⓇ to youth.
Participants can bring the RSVP® curriculum to the settings where they serve youth, including in schools, summer camps, sports teams, or alternative education programs. The curriculum can be used as a whole or in parts and is adaptable for all age groups and all genders.
Executive Director Heidi Randall says, “Through our Training Institute, we are making our nationally recognized Reducing Sexism & Violence Program (RSVPⓇ) accessible to youth outside of our direct service area, particularly in more rural and often underserved communities in the state. These trainings result in new facilitators directly delivering RSVPⓇ to thousands of Maine youth annually, greatly expanding our reach and impact.
“We know that men are responsible for 90% of all violence, and that changing the narrative around ‘what it means to be a man’ before our boys reach adulthood is absolutely critical to turning the tides of male violence. We are a community of people courageously committed to ending all forms of male violence and self-harm, and through our Training Institute we are building a collective of youth-serving adults who are committed to creating safe, non-violent communities for all.”
Register for the December Training Institute. Use promo code ‘FIFTY’ for a 50% discount if two or more people register from your school or organization. If you’d like to learn more about how we are turning the tides of male violence in our communities before or instead of attending the Training Institute, we invite you to join us for our online Introductory Workshop.