Join MNCASA and Sean Elmquist from Men As Peacemakers to explore the BEST (Be Equal Safe & Trustworthy) Party Model, an innovative, comprehensive approach to preventing sexual violence and sexual misconduct on college campuses. A curriculum for athletic teams, fraternities and sororities, BEST integrates proven primary prevention strategies, student-informed methodologies, and approaches for reimagining and shaping party culture to drive student-led changes in high-risk environments.

About the Presenter

Sean Elmquist is the Executive Director of Men As Peacemakers. He has spent 19 years at MAP working to prevent sexual and domestic violence, as well as supporting restorative responses to gender-based harms in diverse community contexts. Sean is a statewide and national trainer in the prevention of sexual and domestic violence, as well as the use of restorative practices to address these harms. ln his previous role as Campus Prevention Coordinator, Sean spent a decade developing and implementing MAP’s innovative programming to prevent sexual violence on college campuses across Minnesota, including the creation of the BEST Party Model, which focuses on empowering students to shape their own social environments to prevent sexual violence. Developed over the course of ten years of experimentation and refinement working with students on grassroots campus organizing efforts, The BEST Party Model synthesizes established public health models and innovative social change theory to engage students in reshaping their own campus culture. Sean developed an Alternative Educational Response program for students and faculty involved in campus sexual misconduct disciplinary proceedings. This program was developed in response to a request by survivors and advocates in the community who wanted a program that would facilitate harm-doer accountability through one one one conversations structured to foster a deeper understanding of the impact of harm.

About the Series

In 2023, MNCASA launched the Lessons From the Field webinar series to spotlight prevention curricula, including Safe Dates, Green Dot, Coaching Boys Into Men, and Our Whole Lives. Each webinar featured an overview of the curriculum and a panel of prevention experts who shared their experiences implementing the program in their own communities.   Now, Lessons From the Field 2.0, shifts the spotlight to the innovation happening within MNCASA’s own member programs. This new series uplifts the expertise, creativity, and practical insights of preventionists who have developed their own prevention curricula. Through each webinar, participants will explore the curriculum’s origin, key concepts, and intended audiences; learn about partnerships and evaluation strategies; and hear firsthand lessons, challenges, and successes from implementation in the field.