RSVP®

Reducing Sexism & Violence Program

We have over 20 years of experience helping youth reshape the way they think about masculinity, and engaging them in ending all forms of male violence and self-harm, through our Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP®). RSVP® is one of the most comprehensive gender-based violence prevention programs in the nation. It is a youth-informed curricula and was developed in partnership with the US Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

RSVP® has two workshop series: one for middle school boys and one for all genders in high school. RSVP® incorporates multiple interactive learning opportunities: physical activity, peer-to-peer dialogue, sharing, role play, animated film clips, and group discussions. The program engages participants in learning about and discussing interpersonal biases, gender stereotypes, gender-based violence, and upstander intervention.

Among its qualities, RSVP®

teaches youth both skills to effectively challenge unsafe attitudes and behaviors to limit the occurrence of harassment, violence, and sexual assault in their schools, athletic teams, and wider communities;
provides youth with specific strategies for nonviolent conflict de-escalation that they can apply to any situation;
empowers youth to recognize and call out the cultural aspects of harmful masculinity that contribute to violence, self-harm, and academic decline among boys;
is grounded in research, evidence-based practices, and third-party evaluations; and
elicits high praise for its ability to keep students interested, engaged, and connected.

We would be pleased to bring RSVP® to your school, nonprofit organization, or community.

Middle School Program

Middle School RSVP® is delivered in a series of four one-hour sessions to full grade levels of boys. We work with groups of fifteen to twenty boys at a time to facilitate discussion, providing a safe space for students to explore topics they might otherwise not have the opportunity to learn about.

A study by the University of New Hampshire and Rutgers University validated the positive impacts on adolescent males, including broadening their emotional capacity and shifting attitudes about male power, gender equity, and coercion in relationships. The findings were published in a peer-reviewed article in Children and Youth Services Review journal. [Summary] [Study Report]

High School Program

We deliver High School RSVP® to roughly forty students of all genders in two six-hour sessions. By empowering youth voice and building youth leadership, we give students the tools to create ongoing impact in their schools.

Multiple third-party evaluations, including one by the Maine Center for Public Health, have found RSVP® to be highly effective at changing attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs about sexism, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence. Over 75% of respondents showed an increased willingness to intervene as bystanders in gender-violent situations. Our self-administered student evaluations show that over 95% of participants leave knowing how to safely intervene if someone’s behavior (online or in-person) makes them feel unsafe.

Schools & Organizations Served

High Schools

Middle Schools

Other