January 18, 2007

Tuning in and Connecting with Today's Boys

United Way hosts conference to address the unique social and emotional needs of boys

BOSTON -- In response to 2006 data that show Massachusetts boys falling behind girls in academic achievement and retention, as well as growing concern over the lack of gender-specific programming targeting their social and emotional wellbeing, United Way of Massachusetts Bay today will host Heart of the Matter: Tuning in and Connecting with Today’s Boys at UMass Boston. More than 300 representatives of youth-serving organizations will convene with experts to focus on identifying mentoring and engagement strategies that meet the unique needs of boys and young men through each stage of their development.

“This conference is part of our efforts to make sure all children succeed regardless of age, race, culture or gender,” said Milton J. Little, Jr., president and chief executive officer at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “We know that meeting the needs of children requires more than a one-size-fits-all strategy. We have to ask the right questions in order to employ the right strategies to enable all youth to graduate with options for the future.”

A 2005 assessment sponsored by the Boston High-Risk Youth Network revealed that Greater Boston males lag behind females in nearly all education-related indicators, including attendance, graduation, and college enrollment rates. Further, a 2006 Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy study found that dropout rates are higher for boys than girls across the state and vastly exceed the statewide average in urban districts. Heart of the Matter is seeking to address the root causes of these trends, focusing on the gender-specific needs of boys and the effective practices of community- and faith-based programs that are working to replace challenges with opportunities for all Greater Boston boys.

“Adults and providers who are working closely with young men need to recognize that the environment has changed,” said Marilyn Anderson Chase, senior vice president for Community Impact at United Way . “One has only to look at high rates of violence and juvenile crime in our city and region to see we are not giving boys acceptable outlets for displays of emotion, particularly anger. We need to be more intuitively cognizant of boys’ developmental needs and embrace strategies for supporting boys.”

The conference will feature keynote speaker Dr. William Pollack, director of the Centers for Men and Young Men and the director of continuing education in psychology at McLean Hospital . He is also an assistant clinical professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School . His books, Real Boys and Real Boys’ Voices examine modern social perspectives on masculinity, and address the unique emotional, psychological and physical needs of boys. M.L. Carr, former Boston Celtic’s star and coach and founder of WARM2Kids, will moderate a panel discussion featuring Jackie Jenkins-Scott, president, Wheelock College , Randall Rucker, executive director, Family Services of Greater Boston and Alberto Vasallo, Jr., vice president, El Mundo Newspaper.

Participants will discuss how to engage at-risk boys outside of program walls, the impact of risk factors on adolescent male development, appropriate mentoring models for varying developmental stages and faith-based responses to post-traumatic stress. Through the dialogue, United Way will partner with community organizations to develop action plans that create real opportunities for boys.