The Men's Rape Prevention Project has played a vital role in Sexual Assault Awareness Month this year -- helping to make the issue relevant to young men across the greater Washington, D.C., area. We are thankful to a growing list of major supporters for making this possible. Here's what's happening and what's new at the Project in May!

Greetings!

The Men's Rape Prevention Project has played a vital role in Sexual Assault Awareness Month this year -- helping to make the issue relevant to young men across the greater Washington, D.C., area. We are thankful to a growing list of major supporters for making this possible. Here's what's happening and what's new at the Project in May!

1. THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS AWARDS

The Project honored six local men who show strength by promoting nonviolence and gender equality.

The first annual Frederick Douglass Awards were given before a sellout audience and received coverage on local television and in USA Today. The Awards honorees were Scott Berkowitz, President of Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), and Larry Villegas, HIV Counselor and Educator, Office of Latino Services, Whitman-Walker Clinic. The winners of the Youth Award were William Alexander, Ryan Bruun, Benjamin Daniels, and Charles Marshall, all sexual assault peer educators for the DC Rape Crisis Center and Washington's School Without Walls. Among the presenters of the awards was DC City Councilman Jim Graham.

During the ceremony, Chris Kilmartin brought home the purpose of the awards when he performed a one-person play, "Crimes against Nature," a humorous and dramatic reflection on masculinity and violence.

The Project is already planning next year's awards. To join the host committee, contact the Project at (202) 265-6530.

2. OUR NEWEST SUPPORTER

The Project extends its warm thanks to the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation for awarding us a $15,000 grant for general support of Project programs. This is one of the most generous gifts that the Project has ever received. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

3. SPRING SCHEDULE

On July 23, the Project will provide its periodic Speaker Training for men and women to provide rape-prevention workshops to male youth. People need not join the Project in order to benefit from the training; we welcome those who plan to provide rape-prevention workshops in any setting.

The Project also plans many other events this spring. For times and precise locations of the following Project presentations, or to learn more about the speaker training, contact the Project at (202) 265-6530.

May 7: Youth Conference, United Synagogue Youth Program, West Virginia May 11-12: Bell Multicultural High School May 13-14: St. Stephens and St. Agnes High School May 17: Alternatives to Violence class, Dunbar Senior High School May 23-25: Pennsylvania Higher Education System Student Affairs conference June 24-27: National Assembly on School-Based Health Care annual conference July 23-25: Speaker Training

4. BUILDING COMMUNITY TIES

The Project joined with Empower and My Sister's Place to co-present workshops to students at Eleanor Roosevelt Senior High School on April 30. We look forward to further cooperative efforts with other organizations preventing rape, sexual violence and sexism among today's youth.

5. IN SEARCH OF OFFICE SPACE

Listen up, Washington area readers! The Project seeks office space to accommodate our expanding programs. If you know of office space in the Washington area that's suitable for a small nonprofit organization, or if you have spare space that you wish to donate, call us at (202) 265-6530.

6. NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH E-MAIL?

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