Mind Over Muscle is a program for young men, (grade school-high school), focusing on the right way to handle conflict by using brains instead of fists. Mind Over Muscle covers the concepts behind appropriate conflict resolution, while stressing the importance of accountability for one’s actions. Participants in Mind Over Muscle learn how today’s (re) actions impact their dreams for tomorrow. Increased attendance, decreased office referrals and suspensions and increase in GPA have shown significant results with boys who have attended Mind Over Muscle group for two semesters and indicated strong changes in attitude and behavior. The Mind Over Muscle program consists of 10 boys and each individual group meets once a week. The boys also get actively involved in several community events and service projects, using the skills they have learned.
The three specific goals of Mind Over Muscle are:
1. To offer young men the tools they need to resolve conflicts peacefully and respectfully.
2. To develop a sense of accountability among participants, to help them understand how to learn from mistakes instead of making excuses for poor behavior.
3. To foster feelings of accomplishment to strengthen self-esteem and develop a willingness to try new things for personal growth.
