Project TEAMWORK

"America's Most Successful Violence Prevention Program!"
- Lou Harris, Public Opinion Analyst

Project TEAMWORK is a diversity sensitivity and awareness and conflict resolution program. Founded in 1990, Project TEAMWORK uses a multi-racial, mixed gender team of former athletes to work with young people across Massachusetts and beyond.

During the 1997-98 school year, Project TEAMWORK presented to 14,398 young people. Project TEAMWORK has worked with over 150,000 young people over the past eight years. Project TEAMWORK members go into area elementary, middle and high schools with their specially-designed curriculum to discuss sensitive issues with young men and women. With this curriculum, Project TEAMWORK members lead discussions on raising awareness and developing sensitivity to diversity issues such as race, and ethnicity. The curriculum also incorporates elements of conflict resolution and violence prevention. During the 1997-98 academic year, 9,937 students received TEAMWORK training. Four elementary schools, 12 middle schools and 19 high schools benefited from Project TEAMWORK presentations and workshops which included personal stories and experiences. A question and answer session is always included at the end of the presentation. Presentations usually last about 45 minutes. Repeat exposure of the curriculum to the young people by Project TEAMWORK members has proven to be a very effective means of reducing violence.

Project TEAMWORK is made possible by the generosity of an anonymous donor. The program has been granted three-year financial support in the amount of $250,000 per year, through 1999.

Project TEAMWORK works!
After evaluating Project TEAMWORK in a 1993 survey, Lou Harris, America's leading public opinion analyst, called the program "America's most successful violence prevention program." Project TEAMWORK was also honored with the 1993 Peter F. Drucker Award for the most innovative non-profit program in the social sector. In 1995, President Clinton recognized Project TEAMWORK as a model violence prevention program.

Human Rights Squads
Project TEAMWORK also coordinates the assembly of teams of action-oriented students from area schools who are motivated by the message of Project TEAMWORK. The teams, called "Human Rights Squads" (HRS), are made up of, and led by, active student members of the school. The Human Rights Squads spread the message of TEAMWORK and create and develop their own projects and activities to help their communities throughout the year. Project TEAMWORK staff attend HRS meetings at least once a month at each participating school, providing support if needed. The HRS also take part in workshops which train them to be trainers. Empowered with this knowledge, junior and senior high school students go into their middle schools to lead diversity sensitivity and conflict resolution workshops for younger students. Project TEAMWORK has helped establish 20 Human Rights Squads across Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Project TEAMWORK Human Rights Squad Forum
Project TEAMWORK's culminating event is the annual Human Rights Squad Forum, held every spring at Northeastern University. Human Rights Squads from across New England assemble for the event. The Human Rights Squad Forum is an opportunity for students from various squads to meet each other and discuss issues of human rights in a large forum. The Forum is a day long event and all members of the various squads are brought together to celebrate their accomplishments throughout the year. The day features guest speakers, entertainment by Human Rights Squad members and workshops. Since 1991, over 3,000 students from all over New England have attended and participated in the Forum. Each year at the Forum, the annual Project TEAMWORK's Human Rights Leadership Awardsare presented. This award honors those individuals who "strive to create human rights for all people, and who have a history of actions that work to end prejudice, discrimination on violence." The Forum also presents the annual "Darryl Williams Award" to the school which best exemplifies the mission of Project TEAMWORK - to eradicate violence and discrimination.

CLICK HERE to read about the
1998 Human Rights Squad Forum

Project TEAMWORK and Athletes in Service to America
Project TEAMWORK also trains the members of the Athletes in Service to America. The Athletes in Service to America Corps members receive extensive training by the staff of Project TEAMWORK. Once endowed with the training, the Corps members from all participating sites perform community service using the skills they have learned from the Project TEAMWORK workshops. Training sessions include six (6) hours of intense diversity sensitivity and conflict resolution, where participants are actively involved in discussions and various curriculum-based exercises and scenarios.

Project TEAMWORK Staff
The 1998-99 staff of Project TEAMWORK includs Program Director Susan Leitao, and training specialists Jennifer Swales and Leonard Tangishaka, and outreach specialist Darryl Williams. Leitao also serves as Sport in Society's Assistant Director of Programs.

For more information about Project TEAMWORK, please contact:
Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society
at (617) 373-4025