A CALL TO MEN today announced a partnership with 18 middle- and high-schools across the nation to bring its LIVERESPECT Coaching Healthy & Respectful Manhood Curriculum to campus in the 2016-2017 school year. The curriculum, written by A CALL TO MEN in conjunction with Scholastic, decreases dating violence and bullying in school and sports.
The curriculum, ideal for middle- and high-school boys, promotes healthy, respectful manhood; decreases language and actions that degrade women, girls and other marginalized groups; challenges harmful cultural and social norms; and decreases instances of bullying and homophobia.
“Much of what kids learn about manhood is based on society’s expectations and stereotypes of the roles of women and men. Unfortunately for some boys, this learned behavior leads to negative treatment of girls and women,” said Ted Bunch, co-founder of A CALL TO MEN.
“At Uplift, we believe college success is academic readiness plus strong social emotional skills. Hence, we are thrilled to partner with A CALL TO MEN to provide their nationally recognized curriculum to our male students across nine Uplift schools as we build in them a healthy perspective on manhood,” said Yasmin Bhatia, CEO, Uplift Education.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. Between 1 in 3 and 1 in 4 (28 percent) students in grades 6-12 experience bullying, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and Bureau of Justice Statistics.
The LIVERESPECT Curriculum will empower boys to better understand healthy relationships, more effectively negotiate relationships with their peers, and make better decisions for themselves and those around them. The curriculum is free and available for download here.
“In everything we do as educators at DeWitt Middle School, we are helping young people understand how to develop and maintain healthy relationships. We are hopeful that the LIVERESPECT Curriculum will allow us to take this to the next level – to give our young men the knowledge and tools they’ll need to develop into the kind of people who will lead this world with relationships based in love, respect and appreciation for humanity,” said Alan Miller, counselor, DeWitt Middle School.
Through the generous support of the Verizon Foundation, which also funded the curriculum’s creation, A CALL TO MEN is able to implement the curriculum in 18 schools in the 2016-2017 school year. The participating schools include:
• Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy Baltimore, MD
• Cambridge Rindge & Latin School Cambridge, MA
• Collaborative Arts Middle School Queens, NY
• Detroit Cristo Rey High School Detroit, MI
• DeWitt Middle School Ithaca, NY
• Eagle Academy Bronx, NY
• Fathers First South Bend, IN
• St. Francis High School Los Angeles, CA
• The Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition St. Paul, MN
• Uplift Luna High School Dallas, TX
• Uplift Mighty High School Fort Worth, TX
• Uplift Luna Middle School Dallas, TX
• Uplift Williams High School Dallas, TX
• Uplift Heights Middle School Dallas, TX
• Uplift Summit Middle School Arlington, TX
• Uplift Infinity Middle School Irving, TX
• Uplift Hampton Middle School Dallas, TX
• Uplift Infinity High School Irving, TX
The schools represented will bring together a cross section of African-American, Asian, Caucasian, Latino and Native American middle- and high-school boys.
“The message of A CALL TO MEN is universal and the impact of our work goes beyond cultural, socioeconomic or other demographic distinctions,” Bunch said.
“One of the core values of Collaborative Arts Middle School is respect, and I believe the LIVERESPECT Curriculum will further aid in instilling lifelong lessons within the hearts of these young men and the people they will inspire,” said Lamont O’Neil, dean of students, Collaborative Arts Middle School.
Timothy Bell, freshman basketball coach at St. Francis High School said: “As the legendary Coach John Wooden said, ‘A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life.’ We at St. Francis High School believe a great athletic experience prepares young men to be better husbands, fathers and brothers. In order to empower our students to better navigate mature, healthy relationships, the St. Francis High School Basketball Program is honored and excited to participate in the LIVERESPECT Coaching Healthy, Respectful Manhood Curriculum.”
“Empowering youth to develop healthy, respectful relationships is vital to preventing violence against women and girls,” said Rose Kirk, chief corporate social responsibility officer. “At Verizon, we are committed to supporting innovative approaches and curriculum that provide students with the tools and resources needed to become responsible and successful adults.”
The LIVERESPECT curriculum is the product of A CALL TO MEN’s 20+ years of experience working with and training men, from the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, to United States Military, the Department of Justice and the United Nations.
About a CALL TO MEN
A CALL TO MEN educates men all over the world on healthy, respectful manhood. Embracing and promoting a healthy, respectful manhood prevents violence against women, sexual assault and harassment, bullying and many other social ills. A CALL TO MEN is a violence prevention organization and respected leader on issues of manhood, male socialization and its intersection with violence, and preventing violence against all women and girls. For more information, visit www.acalltomen.org. Follow A CALL TO MEN on Facebook and Twitter @acalltomen.
