The presentations and workshops described below are facilitated by Dr. Josie Lehrer and can take place online or in person. Their content and length can be tailored for your group's interests, including for fraternities, military, athletic teams and other groups.
Dr. Lehrer is open to co-facilitating with colleagues from your organization, and can do events in English or Spanish (including Spanish-language MSP film content).
Fees are sliding scale. Please contact us to discuss details.
Presentation Formats
Keynotes & lectures
Lecture topics can be tailored to your organization’s interests -- such as the social construction of masculinity; how men can take action for violence prevention and gender justice; and how social notions of masculinity relate to diverse health and social justice issues for people of all genders.
Dr. Lehrer can also discuss her 15-year journey of founding and building the MSP, including insights for social entrepreneurs and gender justice activists.
To see an example of Dr. Lehrer's public speaking, check out her 2019 TEDxIndiana talk on how men's true stories can help dismantle patriarchy; which was selected for inclusion on the main TED.com website. (She promises to never use notes again!)
MSP film screening & discussion
(1.5-3 hrs)
Screening of full MSP documentary or selected videos of men's stories, followed by presentation and group discussion on masculinities in relation to issues including family and romantic relationships, men's mental and physical health, diverse forms of gender-based violence, sexual health, LGBTQIA+ topics, substance abuse, gender equality, men's caregiving, and intersections with other aspects of identity (e.g., race/ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, etc.).
“The presentation was affirming… I feel more confident about standing up for my ideas now than I did before.”
-Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“I find the film and the MSP very compelling. I was vaguely aware of these issues before, but this presentation has allowed me to see the cut and dry reality, and to be more critical of my own actions as well as the actions of other men.”
-Chris Fernandez, President, Intrafraternity Council, University of Wisconsin-Madison
"Dr. Lehrer’s presentation of the Men’s Story Project program, via Zoom, at our University was incredibly well-received. The 50+ attendees appreciated the opportunity to hear the powerful stories provided by the presenters and to respond openly to them in small break-out discussions. The audience was highly motivated to discuss action plans once the presentations were complete." -Dr. Teresa Cooney, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Sociology, University of Colorado Denver
“Love that your presentations and MSP is deeply rooted in research and empirical evidence as well as emotional response! Can’t wait to participate this year, but REALLY can’t wait for the years of MSP at UO in the years to come.”
-Keith Frazee, Assistant Director of Orientation Programs, University of Oregon
Interactive workshops on masculinities, health & social justice
(4-8 hrs)
These workshops use tailored selections of men's filmed stories to spark group dialogue on masculinities - in relation to issues including family and romantic relationships, men's mental and physical health, gender-based violence, sexual health, LGBTQIA+ topics, substance abuse, gender equality, men's caregiving, and intersections with other aspects of identity (e.g., race/ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic status, etc.). Didactic content and group activities.
“Dr. Lehrer is a very effective speaker and a skilled workshop facilitator. The day-long workshop I co-led with Dr. Lehrer using the Men’s Story Project film, here at JFK University, was very successful in stimulating a moving and educational discussion on the social construction of masculinity and pain and violence associated with it…”
–Gary Hoeber, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, John F. Kennedy University
“I appreciated the honesty among the men. The safe environment was very effective for the compassion and love shared and felt.”
–Workshop participant, JFK University
“I loved ALL OF IT! The film clips were AMAZING and fostered a really deep, rich dialogue. My heart is full and open!”
–Workshop participant, JFK University
Creative workshops on masculinities, health & social justice
(8-12 hrs)
These workshops use curated sets of MSP videos of men's stories to spark dialogue on masculinities in relation to key health and social justice issues. The workshops include didactic content, participatory activities and a creative segment which includes: a) guided personal writing/creation, b) small-group feedback on works in progress, and c) a culminating evening event for the sharing of personal stories, which can be made open to a broader audience.
“This was the first time I have really shared my experience of my own masculinity in a public way. I was able to explore the pain I have around my masculinity, discover my own healing process, and then share this process with my community. Being able to share in such a brutally honest and vulnerable way was an effective approach to presenting my experience with the community.”
-MSP presenter
“It was liberating to speak to a common experience that is an unspoken reality for most men.”
-MSP presenter
MSP Trainings
We provide training, action resources and coaching to help organizations create powerful new Men’s Story Project productions with local participants. The project can also be adapted to engage storytellers of all genders, and the MSP name can be replaced with an alternative if preferred.
Local MSP teams receive a core resource package that includes:
- MSP Action Guide, License & Storyteller Contract
- Adaptable curriculum for weekly workshops with MSP presenters (10 sessions)
- 5 live interactive training webinars for MSP facilitators & coaches (2 hours each)
- 15 coaching hours as you create your project
- Connection to the network of teams creating productions across locations
- The two MSP documentaries + public screening licenses
- Publicity for your production on the MSP website, YouTube channel and social media
Core resource package cost for nonprofits: $7300, sliding scale.
Further support (e.g., 1-1 story coaching, graphic design, video editing and production/coordination) is available for an added cost based on your group's interests.
Contact us with any questions or if you'd like to join the MSP's Fall Training Cohort, which starts Nov. 7, 2024. The Cohort application is here! Applications are being received on a rolling basis. (Individual campuses can start later than Nov. 7 if needed.)
An informational webinar on the MSP is here.
The MSP's training webinars discuss the nexus of masculinities, health and social justice; recruitment and selection of presenters; how to help men craft impactful personal stories; the MSP group process (e.g., community-building, story circles, tailored workshops); harm prevention, accountability and ethics in the MSP; working with men who have caused harm; program evaluation; and creation of media content. For each MSP training cohort, the webinars are recorded and stored online for access anytime.
The MSP Training Guide is a step-by-step, 75-page toolkit that discusses the MSP’s research background and educational approach; how to help presenters craft impactful stories; group facilitation; event production; creating MSP films and social media; how to work with men who have used violence; legal/ethical issues, accountability and harm prevention; and other topics. It provides helpful editable templates including a Call for Submissions, event introduction, press release, and feedback forms for audience members and presenters.
The Guide builds upon research and best practices in areas including gender-transformative public health programming; intersectional research on men and masculinities; personal storytelling; social and behavior change communication; entertainment-education; feminist movement-building; and program design and evaluation.
The MSP License is a legal document that lets groups use the MSP name and logo, join the MSP network, connect with other MSP groups, and share their work on the MSP website and other social media. It includes guidelines on ethics, legality and safety, and a Presenter Release form - a legal document for MSP presenters that addresses media permission as well as liability issues that can arise when men publicly share personal stories on sensitive topics. To see a copy, please contact us.
To give you a sense of what goes into creating an MSP production, here are the main things your team would be doing over the course of 4-6 months. (This info is focused on college campuses; community groups would follow a similar path except for the campus organizing elements.)
- Form a core MSP team of 2 lead facilitators, 1-2 story coaches, and 2-3 producers.
- Identify 2+ campus co-sponsoring groups (e.g., Sexual Assault Prevention/Response Office, Gender Resource Center, LGBTQIA+ Center, Intrafraternity Council, athletic teams, ROTC, etc.)
- Have the MSP license signed by a campus representative (e.g., Dean, staff or faculty member)
- Participate in the MSP training webinars and coaching over the course of creating the production. The webinar recordings will be accessible online after they take place.
- Recruit submissions and select the MSP presenters
- Hold weekly workshops with presenters, to build a learning community and help them hone their pieces. (The number of workshops can vary depending on how many presenters you have. We suggest six to eight 2.5-hr sessions.)
- Present your MSP production at least twice for a live audience, along with an audience-presenter dialogue and resource fair
- Film / record the production to create social media videos and other educational tools. Filming is optional; we encourage it to increase the reach of your work.
- Collect feedback forms from audience members and presenters
- Host a celebration and debrief gathering with presenters
- Share event feedback and media with the MSP central office
This is a fair amount of work, but it’s very doable! The more team members you have, the lighter the load for each individual. 🙂
Here are the key team roles:
- Producers. Two or more students or staff to lead event production (e.g., distributing the Call for Submissions, recruiting presenters, finding co-sponsoring groups, fundraising, graphic design, publicity, communications, managing project files)
- Workshop facilitators. The facilitators direct the production overall. They are usually staff members, faculty members or graduate students with a strong background in facilitating group education on masculinities, intersectionality, feminist activism, gender-based violence prevention/response, and gender justice. They decide on the focus of the production, select the presenters from amongst the set of applicants, and adapt and lead 6-8 weekly workshops with them. At the workshops, the presenters will share and give each other feedback on their personal works in progress, learn together about topics at the nexus of gender, health and social justice (e.g., discussing short films, engaging in participatory exercises and discussions), and build community.
- Story coaches provide optional 1-1 support to presenters outside of the group workshops, to help the presenters continue developing their stories. Like the facilitators, the story coaches should have a strong background in masculinities and intersecting health/justice issues, so they can support individuals crafting personal stories on sensitive topics.
Notes:
- If one person wants to be both a producer and facilitator, that can work! Just know you’ll be busy. 🙂
- Consider reaching out to centers such as the Sexual Assault Prevention/Response Office or the Gender Resource Center to see if there’s a counselor/educator there who might like to join the team and serve as a workshop facilitator.
- Folks of all genders and identities are very welcome as production team members – the more diverse the team can be, the better!
- Team members can consider doing this work for course credit (e.g., independent study, thesis, peer-reviewed paper).
The cost for creating a campus/nonprofit MSP production is $7800 sliding scale, for the MSP resources, training, coaching, and network participation. All interested groups should apply, regardless of finances!
Your team may choose to budget additional funds for filming and editing, venue rental, sign language interpretation, event programs, group t-shirts, etc. Costs will of course vary per production, but will likely be around $2-5K.
Having several co-sponsoring groups is helpful for raising funds (each group contributes a bit), and also increases the public visibility of your production.
If you have questions about creating Men’s Story Project productions, the 2020-21 cohort application, or other MSP programs (film screenings, workshops), please contact us.
