Rustin Assistant Principal Recognized for his Work in Fight Against Domestic Violence
Dr. Chris Lunardi
Dr. Chris Lunardi, assistant principal at Bayard Rustin High School, received the 2019 Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence Excellence in Male Leadership Award for his work supporting the growth and development of the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County’s Coaching Boys Into Men Program.
The award ceremony, held at Citizen’s Bank Park on June 11th, kicked off the Phillies’ game with Lunardi throwing an impressive first pitch to Phillies’ Manager, Gabe Kapler, as his family looked on. “It was an amazing and humbling experience to be able to step on the field at Citizen’s Bank Park alongside so many incredible advocates. The work that the folks at PCADV and DVCCC are doing is crucial, necessary, and deserving of recognition,” Lunardi said of the evening.
Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is an educational program which trains the coaches of high school athletic teams to have regular conversations with their athletes about several important issues, based around the program’s basic tenants of respect, integrity, and nonviolence. The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County is proud to have their CBIM Advisory Board Member recognized for his work with this program.
In the spring of 2017, Dr. Chris Lunardi was the first Athletic Director in Chester County to begin implementation of the CBIM curriculum with his coaches and athletes. Since then, the program has been implemented in multiple high school athletic departments throughout Chester County. Of the program, Dr. Lunardi added, “I am so glad that Amelia Rayburn, Joe Henson, and the team at DVCCC were able to bring Coaching Boys Into Men to Chester County and thankful that Coach Matt Taglang and Coach Shaz Brown brought it to our student-athletes at Rustin. They blazed a trail that other coaches at Rustin and throughout Chester County have been able to follow. Our coaches understand that these values can and should be taught within the context of the aggressive, physical, and competitive culture of interscholastic athletics. I look forward to continuing to see the impact this program has on our communities.”
Since the initial 2017 implementation, teams across Chester County have seen an increase in their athletes’ awareness of what constitutes abusive behavior friendships and relationships, as well as the skills to intervene when they see violence or disrespect occurring in their schools or communities. If your school or athletic organization would like to get involved with DVCCC’s CBIM program, contact them today: (610) 431-3546.
