High School & College Programs
High School and College presentations should be scheduled in one period time slots.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
This program brings audience participants together to explore and understand the causes, consequences and effects of sexual harassment. It also helps teenagers identify any sexual harassment problems that may currently exist, as well as provide resources to prevent future problems and promote positive change. The students will participate in a Myth/Fact activity which offers a safe, supervised way for students to discover their feelings and examine their own attitudes and behaviors, while also receiving answers to commonly asked questions. Discussions through this program provide an opportunity for students to assess certain situations as well as brainstorm possible solutions.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS - DATING VIOLENCE
At a time in their lives when relationships are beginning to change, students are asked to consider what qualities are important to them in personal relationships. Using these responses, students will brainstorm qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships. Students will watch the video, "Choose Respect: Causing Pain," which consists of interview with victims of relationship abuse. The cycle of violence, abuse and the role of bystanders are emphasized. Audience participants are encouraged to share opinions on how teens issues such as peer pressure, individual rights/boundaries, and drug/alcohol use can affect a dating relationship of friendship. In closing, options and resources for both the victim and involved friends are reviewed.
SEXUAL ASSAULT: RECOGNIZING AND PREVENTING (formerly THE LINK)
This program focuses on what we can do as individuals to prevent sexual violence from happening in our communities. Our facilitators will teach the participants what sexual assault is, and how aspects of culture allow it to continue occurring. Then they break down the concept of Consent and what everyone can do every day to safely prevent violence. This program hopes to educate, inform, and empower the participants to become active bystanders in keeping their friends and loved ones safe. It also has an emphasis on friends as first responders and how friends can help if someone that they know becomes the victim of sexual assault. This program is activity and discussion based and can be held in one or two sessions at the convenience of the audience.
*This program is best presented over two class periods, but can be combined into one period if necessary. A program for parents is also available.
BEING AN ALLY AND ACTIVE BYSTANDER
Has there ever been a time when someone stuck up for you when you really needed an ally? In this activity, we focus on giving the audience the tools and skills to stick up for others when they see a member of the community in need of some help. The first section of this program is designed to illustrate to the audience the meaning of being an ally to those who in need. We also use real-life situations to role-play safe strategies to intervene in situations to create an environment free of discrimination and harassment.
GOING UP THE STREAM
Imagine you are relaxing next to a stream and suddenly you see someone drowning. What would you do? What would you do if there were five people drowning, or a hundred? Would you look for the source of the problem? In this interactive exercise, we explore the stream as the various thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms that perpetuate violence against women. We analyze the impact of violence on the victim and surrounding community, as well as the interrelationship between environmental factors and community safety. The audience will also discover the tools needed to take individual responsibility to make their home, school and community a safer place.
ACT-LIKE-A-MAN BOX
“Act like a man!” “Man-up!” What do boys learn about masculinity as they grow up? From whom do they learn? This program helps break down the messages that boys are exposed to as they grow into men. We discuss with the audience members what it means to “man-up” and how doing so affects the people within the surrounding community. We also explore and analyze the causes of violence that are rooted in the way that we expect men to act and how they come to learn these expectations. Boys will come to recognize the walls of the “Man Box” and how they can think outside of its restrictions.
BUILDING A MAN
Making a man is actually more difficult than it seems. Often the specific roles that men are expected to perform are unobtainable and contradictory. In this program we explore how the media portrays men by comparing popular male figures to see who society would say is the “real man.” Then we will use these characteristics to build society’s ideal man. What seems like a structure as strong as Superman, through discussion lead by the audience’s own experiences, will become as fragile as a Jenga set, and at what cost.
COACHING BOYS INTO MEN
This program utilizes the impactful relationship between a coach and his team, as well as the influence peers have on one another regarding acceptable and tolerable behavior. Coaching Boys into Men calls for twelve weekly discussions between a coach and the team, that last roughly fifteen minutes, where they can openly and honestly discuss aspects of healthy and respectful relationships. The program also works to promote non-violent interactions between men and women, and charges athletes to become role models in challenging harmful behaviors on a continuum that promote violence. As leaders in their schools, athletes have the tools and social status to positively influence the culture in which they operate on a daily basis.
Watch this video to learn more (1 minute 15 seconds): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzmQwY6JFLY
Note: Program content and activities can vary depending on the available time period
All programs encourage students to recognize their right to be safe and to share concerns or incidents of abuse with a trusted adult