Useful Web Sites for Learning More about Boys Needs and Issues

Santa Fe Boys Newsletter (www.santafeboys.org)

This newsletter provides thoughtful articles about the situation of boys in Santa Fe and in New Mexico. The "Publications" page provides instant access to past issues and articles including data on how boys are doing in school and health in the state, what is happening in boys education, and occasional advice, for example, on how to make classrooms more boy friendly.

Boys and Schools (www.boysandschools.com)

The Boys and Schools program is dedicated to improving the lives and futures of boys. Their outreach efforts focus on raising public awareness regarding issues related to boys' health and achievement. They offer tools and resources that can help make a change in boys' lives. The Boys and Schools program is a project of the Men's Health Network and is committed to improving the health and well-being of men and boys. There are many useful features to this website including blogs on boys' issues and forums on news articles, school, health and medical issues, and parenting.

MenTeach (www.menteach.org)

MenTeach is a non-profit clearinghouse for both men and women seeking information and resources about men teaching. According to the website, "If you are a man thinking about teaching or currently teaching, you've found a place to connect with others who share your vision for children and society. If you are a researcher, university or college student or faculty member, a legislator or from the media, you'll find information to answer your questions. MenTeach is about children's success. We want a diverse workforce, both men and women teachers, educating and caring for our children."

The South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Single Gender Initiatives (www.ed.sc.gov/agency/Educational-Services/Public-School-Choice/SingleGender/Singlegenderindex.html)

The Office of Single Gender Initiatives assists and supports public schools and districts in South Carolina in their efforts to create, implement, and evaluate single-gender programs. The web site includes lesson plans for boys and for girls, information on the location of single-gender programs in South Carolina, copies of newsletters on the subject, registrations for teacher trainings, and news articles from all over the United States on the subject of Single-Gender classes.

The Boys Project (www.boysproject.net)

"The mission of The Boys Project is to help young males develop their capabilities and reach the potential that their families and teachers know they have. The Boys Project seeks to accomplish for young men what the Girls Project so successfully accomplished for young women - to increase academic skills, to increase college success, and to develop the confidence, drive, and determination to contribute to American society." This site gives statistics about the growing gender gap and describes the issue of boys' decline. It also provides excellent links to other web pages.

The National Assoc. of Single Sex Public Education (NASSPE) (www.singlesexschools.org)

Single sex classrooms are increasingly popular and this site describes some of their advantages and the circumstances under which they may be effective. Leonard Sax is the Executive Director of NASSPE and much of the material on the site is based on his research and book, Why Gender Matters; What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. The site also includes information of legal issues about single-sex education and articles about the experiences of other schools in implementing the alternative.

The Gurian Institute (www.gurianinstitute.com)

In its section on education issues, this site offers newspaper articles on gender-sensitive approaches to education, including articles on home schooling and outdoor education, among the many topics covered. This is a promotional site for the various products that Michael Gurian and others associated with his work have produced including books such as The Minds of Boys; Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life and trainings and course offerings for teachers, community workers and parents.

Postsecondary Education Opportunity (www.postsecondary.org)

The research of Dr. Thomas G. Mortenson is featured on this site. Most of these in depth analyses focus on the changing nature of the national and international economy and how these affect and reflect what is happening to the American male, young and old. The September 2006 newsletter (http://www.postsecondary.org/rl/rl_06.asp) titled "The State of American Manhood" offers a comprehensive (and distressing) summary of this subject.

Are Boys Making the Grade? (www.renniecenter.org)

This research institute focuses on education in Massachusetts, one of the better performing public education systems in the United States. Nonetheless, boys' declining performance is the subject of a research paper, Are Boys Making the Grade; Gender Gaps in Achievement and Attainment (under the "research" tab at the address above).

Raising Cain Documentary (www.pbs.org/opb/raisingcain)

Raising Cain: Boys in Focus aired on PBS in January 2006. The documentary was hosted by child psychologist Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the best-selling book Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys, and explores the emotional development of boys in America today. The web site offers discussion guides and other information related to the psychology of boys.

Boys to Men - New Mexico (www.boystomennewmexico.org)

A not-for-profit organization in New Mexico supports the needs of adolescents males through mentorship programs and Rites of Passage activities.

Boys to Men - Maine (www.boystomen.info)

A not-for-profit organization in Maine is attempting to deal with the Boy Crisis by scheduling citizen meetings, workshops for boys and publishing a newsletter.