CREATING A CULTURE OF SAFETY SO ALL CAN PROSPER

PROSPER:
Providing Report Or Support, Providing Educational Resources

MAASIN’s PROSPER Programs exist to create a safer, more inclusive marching arts community by offering support, education, and advocacy. Our goal is to help individuals and organizations address and prevent misconduct while fostering a positive learning and working environment.

We provide two core services:

  • Support Team – We assist individuals in navigating harm, accessing reporting processes, and finding healing resources.

  • Education Committee – We guide organizations in implementing best practices for safety, equity, and accountability.

support team

The Support Team (formerly Whistleblower Support) provides a safe space for individuals who have experienced harm in the marching arts. Whether you have faced misconduct, discrimination, abuse, or neglect, we are here to help you explore your options.

Harm could mean:

  • Sexual misconduct, such as sexual harassment, sexual assault, grooming, sexual abuse, etc.

  • Bigotry, such as racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, etc.

  • Physical abuse, such as being physically assaulted in any way

  • Neglect, such as being denied access to medical care, sleep, food, water, medication, etc.

  • Any other experience where health, safety, or well-being is jeopardized by someone else

We can help you with:

  • Processing and understanding your experience

  • Connecting you to healing resources, such as advocacy groups

  • Guiding you through reporting, including anonymous options

You do not have to report your experience to receive support. We will listen without judgment and do our best to assist you.

Contact us at support@maasin.net

education Committee

The Education Committee supports individuals, ensembles, and organizations in creating safer, more equitable spaces. We provide guidance, policy development, and custom educational resources to promote accountability and inclusion.

A safe and equitable learning environment strives to:

  • Remove barriers to entry for marginalized people

  • Meaningfully address sexual misconduct by centering survivors in the reporting process and decision making

  • Meet the needs of everyone so they have the resources they need to thrive

  • Meaningfully address bigotry by understanding it is a form of violence that makes the environment unsafe for marginalized people

  • Engage in equitable hiring and staffing practices to build and retain a diverse team

We can help you with:

  • Consulting on policies and best practices

  • Connecting you with trusted educational resources

  • Creating custom workshops and training for your group

All education services are offered on a sliding scale to ensure accessibility for everyone.

Contact us at secretary@maasin.net

A flowchart showing how the Support Team whistleblower support process works. When someone requests whistleblower support.

OUR SUPPORT PROCESS

Reporting misconduct can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to go through it alone. Our reporter-centered approach ensures that you remain in control of your information and the next steps in the process.

  • A Support Team member will listen to your experience and discuss your available options.

  • You will decide how to proceed, whether that means reporting, seeking resources, or simply talking through your experience.

  • If you choose to report, we can assist with drafting, submitting, and mediating communication between you and the organization.

PROSPER EDUCATION EVENTS

  • Workshops

    Our PROSPER programs offer workshops on a variety of topics related to safety, equity, and advocacy in the marching arts. These interactive sessions, typically lasting 60 to 90 minutes, include educational content, engagement activities, and a Q&A period.

    Upcoming workshop topics and registration details will be announced on our social media platforms.

  • Discussion Circles

    Discussion Circles create a space for open and informal conversations where community members can share their experiences, insights, and concerns on specific topics. These sessions are facilitated by a MAASIN representative who helps guide the conversation while allowing participants to steer the discussion based on their perspectives and needs.

    Some Discussion Circles may be open to all, while others focus on specific demographics or lived experiences. Registration requirements vary depending on the topic and format.

  • Town Halls

    Town Halls provide a platform for expert panelists to discuss critical issues affecting the marching arts community. These live-streamed discussions offer diverse perspectives and insights, followed by an opportunity for audience questions.

    All Town Halls are broadcast on our YouTube channel and do not require registration. Recordings are made available for later viewing.

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PROSPER ignites positive change

We are the first and only organization offering structured assistance for individuals navigating the whistleblower reporting process in the marching arts.
Reporting misconduct can be confusing and intimidating, with no standardized process across organizations. Our third-party support empowers individuals to report when they otherwise might not have. By supporting reporters, we push organizations to acknowledge issues and take meaningful action. Our mission is to ensure the marching arts can thrive by holding organizations to the same safety standards as other youth activities. While we recognize that most organizations are doing their best with the resources they have, some have far fewer tools than others.
We aim to bridge that gap.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • You can reach out to the Support Team for assistance with any experience related to safety and well-being, including but not limited to sexual misconduct, discrimination, abuse, and neglect. If you are unsure whether your experience qualifies for support, we encourage you to reach out. It is always better to ask, as we may be able to offer guidance or resources.

  • PROSPER Support Manager Rand Clayton holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and has professional experience as a queer community center coordinator, accessibility programming coordinator, and sexual assault counselor. They are currently pursuing a PhD with a focus on the marching arts from a social work perspective. Rand oversees all PROSPER Support operations with both professional expertise and lived experience.

    Support Team members come from a range of professional backgrounds, including social work, education, law, and public relations. However, we firmly believe that professional credentials are not the only qualification for providing compassionate support. Lived experience and a commitment to advocacy are equally valuable. When we have open positions, applicants must complete a written application and interview process to assess their understanding of issues such as sexual violence, oppression, abuse, and neglect. We do not onboard individuals unless we are fully confident in their ability to support community members effectively.

  • Yes and no. You may contact us anonymously through email or direct messages, but doing so limits our ability to follow up with you. Because we follow a reporter-centered approach, we require your explicit approval to take action, which is not possible if we cannot reach you.

    Most individuals prefer to engage with us under the assumption of confidentiality rather than anonymity. Confidential reporters have their identities protected within our organization while we facilitate communication with the entity they are reporting to. We never reveal a reporter’s identity without their explicit consent. While anonymous reporting is an option, confidential reporting allows for a smoother and more effective process.

  • A Community Safety Notice is a public statement issued via our website and social media when we have serious, unresolved concerns about safety within an organization. These notices are rare and only released when a report has been completely disregarded, making it impossible for us to recommend that individuals work with the organization in good faith.

    While we do not take this step lightly, we believe that all individuals deserve to make informed decisions about where they choose to march or work. If an organization fails to address safety and equity concerns, community members have a right to that information when making choices that align with their values.

  • Yes. While we cannot share details of specific reports submitted by others, we are happy to provide our honest perspective based on the information we have. Every organization has its strengths and challenges, and we encourage individuals to consider whether a group aligns with their personal values and needs before committing.