Projects

1. Coaching Boys into Men^SM
The Anoka County Domestic Violence Council used Coaching Boys into Men,^SM  a program of the Family Prevention Fund, to raise awareness and enlist men to be involved in prevention. Learn more about the Coaching Boys into Men project by viewing the Project Overview.

The Anoka County Coaching Boys into MenSM initiative was the building block for the Coaching for Change online course. Learn more about the national Coaching Boys into Men Project.

2. Coaching for Change

Recognizing the important role that coaches play in a young person’s life, we were challenged to provide more awareness and education for coaches to understand these issues.Coaching Boys into Men provided the foundation for a new local initiative, Coaching for Change.

Coaching for Change is an interactive on-line training that provides coaches with information and skills to understand and better respond to sexual harassment, teen dating violence, and domestic/sexual violence. Funded by the United Way and the MN Department of Health, two online courses were developed for high school and community level coaches. Input from local coaches, MN High School League and professionals in the field of relationship violence pooled their expertise and knowledge to produce the courses.

Each course explores the social norms and messaging that help to create an environment of harm. The courageous conversations section provides coaches with everyday experiences they may encounter with youth and feedback from other coaches as to how they handle the situation. Coaches who have taken the course are overwhelmingly positive about the content it provides and understands how important this information is to a coach in today’s world. The MN High School League has made this online training a mandatory course for all Minnesota high school coaches.

To learn more or to access either course, visit the Men as Peacemakers website.

3. Beyond the Mirror 

Book – Beyond the Mirror; Peaceful Homes: A Basic Human Right by Marlene Jezierski

Written by Council member Marlene Jezierski, Beyond the Mirror is a collection of poems about abuse. The intent of the book is to illustrate the reality of abuse, to honor victims and survivors, and to offer hope. It is meant to be read and then passed on to other readers. The book was sponsored by the Domestic Violence Council of Anoka County and the Anoka County Child Abuse Prevention Council. Contact Marlene for free copies at 763-755-3265. For more information on Beyond the Mirror, please access their website.

Beyond the Mirror Resources: 

Building on the contribution of Beyond the Mirror: Peaceful Homes: A Basic Human Right, the Beyond the Mirror Fine Arts Project  was established to further awareness and education on domestic violence with area youth. Multiple forms of art was created by youth as a medium to express feelings, knowledge, and experience with domestic violence. Completed art pieces were shared via a traveling art exhibit. One project that has continued is a play - Just Kidding, Just Fine, & Other Lies. For more information on Beyond the Mirror, please access their website.

Just Kidding, Just Fine and Other Lies

The play, Just Kidding, Just Fine and Other Lies was written by Jennifer Bobbe and The Voice, a Peer Education Theater Troupe made up of high school students at Spring Lake Park High School, Spring Lake Park, Minnesota.

The script was developed through an intense and lengthy process. Teenagers shared their personal, often painful, experiences through stories and poetry. Their experiences were communicated with intense language, vivid imagery, and heart-breaking emotion. Parts of these stories and poems were woven together and through this process, the realities of the physical, sexual, and emotional violence portrayed in the play come alive in meaningful and powerful ways. It is important to note that the show reflects the language, experiences, and emotions experienced by students who lived through verbal abuse and bullying. The stories are based on actual experiences. We elected not to edit the sometimes painful and often offensive language because to do so would not be reflective of what actually occurs. We hope that audience members are affected, offended, and committed to taking action to end bullying and verbal abuse. We firmly believe that identifying the problem is only the first step towards ending the abuse.

View or to order the DVD or script.

Additional Resources 

Brochure – Caught in the Middle: When Children Witness Violence in the Home
Used widely by public and private agencies, it explains the effects that violence in the home has on children.

Facilitator and Discussion Guide for the DVD, Domestic Violence; Make it your business, because it is. 

An instance of domestic violence in Circle Pines inspired Mayor Dave Bartholomay to raise awareness of the issue through this DVD. Community leaders and experts share their knowledge, experiences, and insights. In addition, to further enhance viewers’ understanding of domestic violence, the Council developed a Facilitator Guide and Discussion Guide to accompany the DVD. Contact Anoka County Community Health at 763-324-4200 to receive a copy of the DVD while supplies last.