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Best Men is a youth development program with a character-building curriculum designed to help adolescent males develop the skills necessary to become productive, successful men in society today. Our message helps boys to identify risky behaviors that may hinder their opportunities later on in life. The curriculum puts a strong emphasis on conflict resolution, and abstinence form sexual activity, drugs, alcohol, and violence. The mission of the program is to “Challenge boys to become men worthy of respect.”
Best Men is closely associated with the nationally recognized Best Friends program. Best Friends is a highly successful, abstinence program for girls and has been in existence for over twenty-years. Elayne Bennett, wife of William Bennett, former Secretary of Education under President George Bush Sr., founded the Best Friends program with the assistance of Alma Powell, the wife of Colin Powell, former Secretary of State. The Best Friends program now exists in 20 major cities across the nation. The Best Men program began in the 2000-2001 school year in Milwaukee and Washington D.C. In the 2007-2008 school year Milwaukee had 8 middle schools and 3 high schools involving over 500 adolescent males. The Best Men program continues to grow not only in the city of Milwaukee but also across the nation. The high school component is called “Best Men Leadership” (BML). The focus of the leadership program will again be on character development and abstinence from sexual activity, drugs, alcohol and violent activity, with a strong emphasis on career exploration and community service. In the Milwaukee chapter of the Best Men we have had the largest, most active and successful program in the nation. (Complete document - word file)
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