Aspire New York: The Campaign for Aspirational Masculinity: 45 Years NYSCADV

Don McPherson Enterprises, in collaboration with the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is launching ASPIRE New York! A year-long campaign to engage men and boys commencing with a conference in Syracuse, NY.

The concept of Aspirational Masculinity, created by Don McPherson, is a model and promising practice to enlist men’s leadership in violence prevention and engage them within local social ecosystems such as schools, workplace settings, communities and families. This model aims to establish and maintain positive and proactive engagement of men and boys through various affinity groups.

About The Conference

Held on  June 7-9 in Syracuse for ASPIRE New York: The Conference on Aspirational Masculinity.

The conference provided a foundation for the campaign, describing what Aspirational Masculinity is and how to engage men and boys to become involved, with national, state and local level experts participating.

Upcoming Regional Trainings

NYSCADV, NYSCASA and Don McPherson Enterprises are pleased to announce that the ASPIRE NY Regional Trainings registration is open!

NYSCADV congratulates everyone involved in making the ASPIRE NY event in Syracuse on June 7-9th a success. This statewide event marked the launch of the ASPIRE NY campaign. Aspirational Masculinity is the philosophical approach to engaging boys and men in a positive and deliberate examination of male identity and the relationships and behaviors of and between boys and men. The approach, developed by Don McPherson, is rooted in the work to end men’s violence against women and focused on the outcomes we want and hope for boys and men. Aspirational Masculinity is part of the ASPIRE model of positive and sustainable engagement in the social ecosystem, including schools, workplaces and community organizations.

About the Regional Trainings:

The regional trainings aim to introduce Aspirational Masculinity training and the Aspire New York framework.  Aspirational Masculinity represents a shift in engaging boys and men in a positive and proactive approach to living in AWE (authentic, whole and evolving). It is designed to enlist male leaders throughout the Aspire “social ecosystem.”  The Aspire social ecosystem comprises of schools (K-12 and higher education), workplaces, families, and communities. Aspire New York is a framework designed to establish a common language throughout the social ecosystem and employ an “excellence and advancement” approach that links the four quadrants of the social ecosystem.

Who Should Attend:

In addition to prevention educators, these sessions are also open to community members with an interest in engaging men and boys, including school personnel- teachers, coaches, school nurses, counselors and administrators, as well as DASA and Title IX Coordinators; Campus personnel focusing on prevention; Workplace Leaders, Sports leagues, foundations and other athletic organizations.

Attendance at the Statewide conference, held in Syracuse on June 8 – 9, is not a prerequisite to attend a regional training. However, those who attended the conference are encouraged to attend a regional meeting near you to hear more about implementing the approach and to reach out to schools, community and business partners, especially those organizations and individuals who work directly with boys and men (youth sports, etc. and invite them to attend a regional training with you.) 

Each regional training will cover the same content.