We interview Matt Theodores who is the director of Maine Boys To Men. Boys To Men supports the happy, healthy, non-violent development of boys and those who help raise them. By working with parents, teachers, coaches, boys and girls, Boys to Men challenges the pervasive messaging that defines masculinity in terms of violence, harassment, apathy and sexual conquest. Their programs support empathy, tolerance, respect, leadership, and critical thinking. In the interview, we discuss the focus of  their program: Mission The Mission of Boys to Men is to reduce interpersonal violence, specifically male violence against women and girls, and support the development of emotionally fluent, civically engaged boys. Boys to Men will: • Provide assistance and educational resources to boys and those who help raise them. • Provide programming to students which challenge traditional gender stereotypes and sexism. • Increase community awareness about the challenges facing boys and the corresponding bias and violence against girls and women. Vision Boys to Men envisions a world in which: • Boys and men are loved and valued for who they intrinsically are without regard to arbitrary cultural stereotypes of masculinity, femininity, and gender roles. • All boys have the opportunity to develop into healthy men, supported by adult mentors who model healthy masculinity and respectful, nonviolent relationships. • The absence of violence and fear frees all people to be caring and productive members of society. Core Values Community Responsibility for Raising Healthy Boys: • It is the responsibility of the entire community to raise healthy, happy, non violent boys. • Adult male investment in the raising of boys is an indispensable component of transforming boys into men. Non-violence: • Violence is not the solution to any problem or conflict. • Violence prevention is an important responsibility of boys and men. • Every person has the right to live free of threats or acts of violence or abuse. Gender Justice: • Traditional media and cultural representations of masculinity and femininity are too narrowly defined and contribute to destructive and damaging behavior towards individuals of all genders and ages. • We are committed to eliminating the inequalities and institutional injustices that result from these traditional media and cultural representations of masculinity. Respect: • The ability to honor all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and/or religion is essential to healthy development. • Respecting differences is a learned skill/ability and therefore young people must be taught to accept and value themselves, others, and the world around them. Other Resources Receive Cathy's new book Living What You Want Your Kids To Learn by registering  for our two week Self-Aware Virtual Holiday Retreat which begins on December 1st.  Click here for more details.   Cathy's 3rd book, Living What You Want Your Kids To Learn- The Power of Self-Aware Parenting, is now on sale! Scheduled ship date is first week of November. Go here to order your book. Todd co-facilitates The Tribe Men's Group and is now accepting applications for his 2015 retreat.  Registration can be found here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd4HfGvOl2k&index=19&list=PLJATAQGVhEVv7KoAcf-V7UKiN0_De-wqn Click the following links to purchase Cathy's books The Self-Aware Parent Part 1  & and Part 2 Click here to find her blog, and click here to find her Chicago Parent column. Todd has a few spots opening for his Men's Group.  Email me @ [email protected] Tree of Life Chiropractic Care have some interesting workshops planned.  An outline can be found here. If you shop Amazon by going through our website first (there is an amazon link on the bottom right hand of our home page), a portion of your sale will help fund our Be U program.  Thanks for supporting us!