IBSC Boys and Healthy Relationships, NOV '22

Toward a Climate of Respect

An IBSC Online Program with Katie Koestner and Gordon Braxton

Co-hosted by St. Mark's School of Texas (United States)

November 16 and 30, 2022

How do we best educate boys from age 3 to 18 about the essentials for respectful relationships, from friendships to romance? Expectations on the standards for appropriate boundaries, jokes vs. harassment, flirting vs. hurting, and consent vs. exploitation vary around the world iterated through laws and policies. Daily practice of interpersonal skills includes using social media platforms, texting, and having in-person conversations. Learn how to educate boys with best practices derived from work with over 5,000 educational institutions and organizations worldwide. Amplified scrutiny of the behavior and language of boys followed in the wake of #MeToo, Time’s Up, Title IX regulations, and the “morality” police. How are you supporting your boys in their development and understanding of these standards?

This interactive program provides a comprehensive review of definitions, educational strategies, climate survey results from independent schools, and developmentally appropriate strategies for boys of all ages, faiths, nationalities, and other demographic backgrounds. Using case studies relevant to boys’ schools, debate and discuss with peers your practices and thoughts on this sensitive topic. Learn how to prevent and respond to allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct—and most importantly, lead your community toward a shared vision and practice of respect.

Foundations and Definitions: From Knowledge to Upstander Skills

Wednesday, November 16, 4:00 PM EST, 9:00 PM GMT, 11:00 PM SAST

Thursday, November 17, 8:00 AM AEDT, 10:00 AM NZDT

Check the time in your time zone.

90 minutes

Hear from Katie Koestner and Gordon Braxton and join facilitated discussions to examine and reconsider ways to help boys move from knowledge to upstander skills.

Beyond the Classroom: How Handbooks, Discipline, Sister-School Interactions, and Other Operations Impact a Culture of Respect

Wednesday, November 30, 4:00 PM EST, 9:00 PM GMT, 11:00 PM SAST

Thursday, December 1, 8:00 AM AEDT, 10:00 AM NZDT

Check the time in your time zone.

90 minutes

Hear from Katie Koestner and Gordon Braxton and join facilitated discussions to discover ways to prevent and respond to allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct—and most importantly, lead your community toward a shared vision and practice of respect.

Who Should Attend?

Administrators, teachers, coaches, and other leaders in boys’ schools who want to gain a deeper understanding of how to develop a culture of respect and a commitment to healthy relationships in boys and develop operational practices that impact a culture of respect

Attendees must commit to both sessions.

Format

Participate in two scheduled 90-minute interactive sessions using Zoom. Braxton and Koestner will facilitate each session with thought-provoking input, real-life case studies, and breakout conversations, assisted by faculty from St. Mark's School of Texas.

Registration

IBSC member rate: US $225
Nonmember rate: US$285

This event is limited to the first 70 people who register.

Refund Policy
IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received two weeks prior to the class. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this time. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Please note: Watch your email for login information the Friday before the program starts. If you registered later than this time, watch for login information within 24 hours.

Facilitators

Gordon Braxton

An author, activist, and educator on sexual violence, Gordon Braxton is a division chief with the Department of Defense and previously served as the prevention specialist at Harvard University, where he implemented the university’s violence prevention policies. Braxton completed his undergraduate work at the University of Virginia and has a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was identified by Ebony Magazine as a “super man” because of his commitment to activism focused on fighting intimate partner violence. Braxton was introduced to the field of sexual violence prevention as a peer educator in an all-male anti-violence group at the University of Virginia. He serves as the director of men’s involvement for Campus Outreach Services and sits on the board of the Take Back the Night Foundation. He is also the author of Empowering Black Boys to Challenge Rape Culture.

Katie Koestner

Katie Koestner, one of the nation’s most sought-after experts on student safety and healthy relationships, is the first woman in the United States to speak out nationally and publicly as the victim of campus “date” rape at age 18. She has been featured on the cover of Time Magazine, The Oprah Winfrey Show, NBC Nightly News, CNBC Talk Live, CNN, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, Later Today, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, and other national television programs.

Koestner is the subject of an HBO movie and has lectured for over 5,000 schools and organizations in North America and around the world. Her audiences have included the incoming classes at MIT, Brown University, Dartmouth University, West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy, Amherst College, Williams College, the top 200 officers of the U.S. Department of Defense, the men’s Division 1 basketball coaches at the Final Four, and the American Association of School Administrators. Koestner is the architect of a sexual misconduct response system, model school sexual misconduct policies, model acceptable use of technology policies, the National Gender and Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey, and the Respect My Red Leadership Training Program. In 2010, the U.S. ambassador to India invited her to keynote and lead a 19-day campaign in India to raise awareness about violence against women. The Girl Scouts of America selected Koestner, Katie Couric, and a handful of others as honored women to present for their 100th anniversary celebration.

She assisted the U.S. Department of Education in developing and providing programs to women in high-risk communities in India and China. Her testimony on Capitol Hill was instrumental in the passage of federal student safety legislation, including the Victims’ Bill of Rights and the Campus Security Act. Coe College awarded her an honorary doctorate for her extensive work on student safety and public service. The U.S. Department of State chose Koestner to work with a delegation of Chinese diplomates at the United Nations on strategies to reduce sexual and relationship violence. She has served as the executive director of the Take Back the Night Foundation since 2009, expanding the reach of the organization to include over 600 events in more than 30 countries around the globe in the effort to end sexual violence. Koestner’s energy and enthusiasm spur audiences from age eight to 80 to positive action around the globe.