Man Up! operates through MOCSA’s Education and Outreach department, which possesses a proven ability to develop and maintain partnerships throughout the community, provides prevention and awareness programming in over 30 school districts, and has strong relationships with area colleges and universities. These relationships provide opportunities to recruit volunteers and implement Man Up! education programming. Finally, MOCSA is committed to ongoing program evaluation. We value the feedback of our clients, and strive for high quality in all programming.

With sufficient funding, we plan to: Increase the number of young men served through Direct Youth Prevention Education; Strengthen Program Evaluation and Curriculum Development and make available for use by others; Expand Outreach and Awareness through introductory workshops, volunteer training, speaking at men’s groups, a significant professional conference and a community-wide public awareness campaign; Further develop the Man Up! Blog as an awareness tool; Form multiple Monthly Man Up! Discussion Groups that involve men of all ages.

Plans for partnerships with a suburban school fathers’ group, “Father’s Connection” and with leaders of urban-core Boy Scout troops are currently in preliminary stages.

MOCSA is fortunate from a policy perspective, that despite stigmas attached to these issues, we have been welcome in school settings. The high profile of our agency generally and solid reputation for providing quality youth education and addressing sexual behavior and violence in a straight-forward, yet creative way has served us well in reaching boys and young men.

Participants of the Man Up! Basic Workshop report gaining understanding and the ways they may have contributed to the problem through their own attitudes and behaviors.

After participating in a Man Up! workshop, faculty/administration at an all-boys high school are discussing the issue of masculinity and their responsibility to the students to discuss how to have healthy relationships. One teacher said “We have work to do with our guys in how they view women and more importantly how they act with them. We need a corporate plan in dealing with these issues.”

In the past six years, several events have occurred which have inspired all of MOCSA . At our 2002 and 2003 Community Luncheons (which attract 1000 people-400 men), William Pollock spoke about needs of boys, and Don McPherson spoke the following year about men’s role in prevention. The imagination of those in attendance at these events was captured, men were inspired and the Man Up! committee was formed in 2005. A program coordinator was hired, and the official launch of the program occurred in late 2006 with the series of three events with Don McPherson.

Also important was MOCSA’s participation with the CDC in “Evaluation Assistance for Projects Designed to Prevent First-Time Male Perpetration of Sexual Violence.” This provided our very creative staff the opportunity to effectively evaluate and refine our work with youth and to target programs to male youth. It also allowed networking with others involved in this work, enriching our knowledge-base and our commitment.

The Man Up! Committee is strong. Our Blog is new; our monthly meetings are new. Opportunities are many—key partnerships, program evaluation and curriculum development, a men’s conference, a public awareness campaign. There is energy and enthusiasm.