YARMOUTH — Maine Boys to Men is proud to celebrate its 10th year of service this month as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and over 16 years of serving Maine families.

Maine Boys to Men was originally organized in 1998 as a community coalition to create a violence prevention conference for boys. After six years of success and 10 years ago this week, a nonprofit organization was established. Since that time, Maine Boys to Men has dramatically expanded its programs and has received national recognition for its pioneering work to help boys develop into emotionally healthy, respectful, non-violent men.

As the organization crosses this milestone, it also surpasses the mark of 10,000 individuals directly served through its programs and community events. Many of its program participants continue as leaders carrying this important work forward in their communities.

In 2007, Maine Boys to Men implemented its Reducing Sexism and Violence Program, a first of its kind bystander intervention program for middle and high school students.

A comprehensive evaluation by the Maine Center for Public Health showed that RSVP resulted in dramatic positive changes in personal attitudes, behaviors and beliefs around issues of sexism and interpersonal violence.

 Through RSVP, Maine Boys to Men has trained nearly 1,000 student leaders who then train others across their district. Several schools have implemented RSVP clubs with that mission.

Over the past six months, Maine Boys to Men has enhanced its RSVP program to offer flexible delivery options allowing for expansion of this important program to schools across Maine.

Recognizing the importance of working with boys at an earlier age, Boys to Men implemented a Boys Outdoor Leadership Development program for boys ages 7-10 and is piloting the delivery of these activity based learning groups through fifth- and sixth-grade classrooms.

Boot Camp for New Dads is delivered in partnership with Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital and is generously supported by UNUM. It serves 450 men annually in Portland. This program teaches these men different ways of parenting than they might have been exposed to as children and prepares them to make informed decisions about what attitudes and behaviors they want to carry forward as new parents.

To learn more about Maine Boys to Men or to support these efforts, visit www.maineboystomen.org or connect on Facebook and Twitter.