The Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) Program, founded in 1993 by Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, motivates student-athletes and student leaders to play a central role in solving problems that historically have been considered "women's issues": rape, battering, and sexual harassment Until recently, few campus or community-based programs have encouraged young men to work actively on these issues.

The mixed gender, racially diverse MVP Program staff motivates men and women to work together in preventing gender violence. During lively, interactive sessions with student-athletes, Greek organizations, RA/RD's, and other leadership groups, the MVP staff, comprised of former professional and college athletes, use the MVP Playbook to spark discussion about the ways male and female leaders can interrupt, confront, and prevent violence by their peers.

The MVP approach does not involve finger pointing, nor does it blame participants for the widespread problem of gender violence. Instead, it sounds a positive call for proactive, preventive behavior and leadership.

Utilizing a unique bystander approach to prevention, the MVP Program views student-athletes and student leaders not as potential perpetrators or victims, but as empowered bystanders who can confront abusive peers. This emphasis reduces the defensiveness men often feel and the helplessness women often feel when discussing issues of men�s violence against women. Participants in MVP sessions learn to serve as role models working to prevent this violence.

In the sessions, conducted in locker rooms and classrooms, MVP staff present a series of real life social scenarios from the MVP Playbook. Participants discuss concrete options for intervention in situations ranging from a potential rape involving alcohol to sexist comments overheard in the locker room.

MVP Initiatives MVP has developed the following training initiatives:

Youth Component.
Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Sport in Society, the MVP program reaches school-aged youth and youth-workers throughout the country.

College Component.
Sponsored by the NCAS, The MVP program reaches college students and staff throughout the country.

Professional Sports Component.
Co-sponsored by the NCAS and the Center for the Study of Sport in Society, the MVP program trains professional sports leagues.

The MVP Program conducts gender violence prevention and education trainings for a wide variety of groups. Below are the most popular training options for colleges and universities:

OPTION #1
Train the Trainer (TTT) Programs

A TTT Program empowers a campus with tools necessary to implement MVP campus wide. Two MVP trainers will come to a campus and provide a three-day Train the Trainers (TTT) program for 25-30 campus leaders (students and/or staff). It includes MVP curriculum materials and an end of training report.

OPTION #2
90-Minute Awareness Raising Sessions

This option will bring two to four MVP trainers to a campus for up to three days to provide 90-minute Awareness Raising Sessions for student-athletes, other student leaders and staff. Includes excerpts of curriculum materials and an end of training report.

OPTION #3
Regional MVP Institute (Institute for Gender Violence Prevention and Education)

This option enables campuses to send one to four representatives to a three-day regional training. This Train the Trainers (TTT) program, housed at a rotating regional location, follows the same structure as Option #1 and trains participants to utilize the MVP curriculum campus wide. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of collegiate staff and administrators from their respective region of the country.