Re-thinking our Work with At-risk Youth

Field Site: Male Voices Project, Oceano CA

The project involved entering into my current position as coordinator of the Male Voices Project (MVP), a teen pregnancy prevention program targeting teen males, with a depth psychological perspective. The project followed three threads: personal work with psyche, concepts of depth psychology in the field; and special initiatives reflecting this perspective. The summer program involved twelve boys and included activities such as a menudo breakfast fundraiser, a handball tournament, and men's gatherings. These and other activities served as a backdrop to reflections on the nature of the program, its direction, its specific components, as well as on my own place, or calling, in regards to this work. The experiences also led to reflections on how the lives of the boys speak for the soul of America.

My observations, reflections, and experiences were inspired by the writings of Hillman, Freire, Morales, Gilligan, Meade and Johnson, among others.

Matthew Green