MASCulinity (Men, Access, School & Communities) Initiative focuses on outreach to young men from low-income, underrepresented and first-generation backgrounds.
Because of the low college enrollment rates of men from these backgrounds, MASC. seeks to make a positive impact through multiple partnerships on and off campus. The program focuses on challenging normative forms of gender identity at multiple levels of engagement with theory and practice. The initiative includes the following components:
- Young Men's College Conference: For local high school students to plan for their future.
- Masculinity speaker series: On campus events addressing masculinity through different forms of teaching.
- Coachable: High school summer transition program for young men.
- Undergraduate courses: Opportunities to engage with research regarding young men and masculinity, reflection on personal experiences, and outreach.
- Project SOAR: The My Brother's Keeper section of Project SOAR is an opportunity to mentor middle school males and explore cultural, social and environmental factors affecting middle schoolers’ academic achievement and pathways to higher education.
- HED 331: Masculnity, Power, and Education: Is a broad-based introduction to masculinity, its social constructions, and how it intersects with race, poverty, sexual orientation and other identities.
- 100% Engagement - Student Coordinators of Masculinity Initiatives: Is an opportunity to work with EAO in a leadership position on-campus and through community partnerships addressing masculinity and gender identity through various initiatives.
Partnerships include: The University of Arizona Cultural Centers, The Guerrero Student Center, African American Student Affairs, Native American Student Affairs, Asian Pacific American Student Affairs, Women and Gender Resource Center, and LGBTQ Student Affairs, Common Ground Alliance, The University of Arizona College of Education's Center for the Study of Higher Education, and Project SOAR (Student Outreach and Resiliency).
Program staff have presented "College: An opportunity to redefine Man Up" at College Board's 2016 Prepárate Conference. A few days later, Excelencia in Education! facilitated a national webinar on "Latino Males in Higher Education: Action for Progress"(link is external). Both presentations are linked here to provide a context for our work.