Neil Irvin has devoted his professional life to improving circumstances for young people. A Washington, DC area native, Neil has worked for nearly a quarter century to make the nation’s capital a model for other cities in its youth-serving programs and facilities.  

Trained in group dynamics and facilitation, along with crisis intervention and one-to-one counseling, Neil’s experience covers all ages and genders, although the majority of his direct work has focused on high school-aged boys. He is a Maryland state-certified sex education teacher and a trained SHARP (Sexual Health and Responsibility Program) instructor.

Neil’s background includes the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the National Capital Area, the Montgomery County, Maryland Recreation Department, and the Y.W.C.A. He has also conducted presentations with the Congressional Black Caucus and the Department of Education. At present, Neil also serves as the Director of Community Education and National Director of the Men of Strength Club for the DC-based organization Men Can Stop Rape.

Under Neil’s leadership, the Men of Strength Club grew from a local project to a nationally recognized model program for working with young men to prevent violence against women. Feedback from parents and educators indicates that the program accomplishes much more than its intended goal. “I’ve had mothers tell me that their sons are more respectful at home, that they are doing better in school since they joined the Club,” reports Neil. “MOST Club is about being a strong man and individual of character, and that translates far beyond a commitment to nonviolence.”

Neil is a member of the Washington Branch of the NAACP and is on the Advisory Board of the Family Support Center’s SISTERS (Self-Image, Strength, Tenacity, Empathy, Responsibility, and Success) program. He is also a supporter of Africare, a DC-based organization working to improve the quality of life in Africa.

Neil’s work with not-for-profit organizations and government agencies has allowed him to expand on his commitment to the DC community and launch Irvin Development, serving a broader range of young adults at key points of transition in their lives.