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It comes back to parents, the primary protection for growing boys and their closest model for what it means to be authentically connected to others. It lives within schools, where boys learn the script for manhood and navigate their resistance to it. And more than anywhere else, it unfolds in the inner lives of boys: in the unseen depth of their friendships and shared secrets, in the quiet breathing as they fall asleep, in their ability to say the words that are too often left unsaid.
Read MoreNow more than ever, we need to view the next generation of men with hope—not as problems to be fixed, or just as allies for girls and women, but as fellow stakeholders in the movement for gender justice.
Read MoreOver the span of several months, we took four highlights from the card deck and worked with an artist to turn them into streetwear-style apparel. Like my white swoop-emblazoned Nikes, we hope that these t-shirts catch the attention of the teenage boys in your life, and we hope that they foster an opportunity for deeper conversation.
Read MoreIf you think about it, what we’re doing is building an alternate reality. No, not VR or AR, but a reality of masculinity where even the most tough, ready-to-fight, disinterested-in-equality boys can maintain an alternate version of themselves in a space that is defined by respect and inclusion. Even if they feel the need to buy into toxic masculinity elsewhere to protect themselves, there’s still a part of themselves that doesn’t.
Read MoreWe’re mandated to report any situation in which a child might be in need of protection, come hell or high water. Yet in reality it’s rarely that simple. Young people’s lives are complex, tangled and ever-changing shades of grey—and if our ultimate goal is their wellbeing, then we have to recognize a trusting relationship in which they can confide in and count on as a significant protective factor.
Read MoreEvery educator has struggled with the devil-may-care student who is indifferent in the classroom at best, and at worst finds ways to be actively disruptive or flagrantly disrespectful. But let’s be clear: what we see in those moments is not really a ‘problematic’ boy or ‘toxic’ masculinity. It’s relational disengagement.
Read MoreIn the years since #MeToo, I’ve seen a question increasingly materializing among the best schools: how do we sustain positive change? If you’re reading this, you probably know why schools should be talking about positive masculinity. You might already be starting to put this into practice. So let’s talk about what’s next.
Read MoreIn some ways, the program itself is the easy part. The hard part is getting a troop of boys and young men to show up in the first place. At Next Gen Men, we’ve been engaging boys and young men in gender equality for a long time, so we’re here to share some insights we’ve gained along the way.
Read MoreThe meaningful and impactful experiences at the Future of Masculinity Summit were only made possible by educators within each school community—school counsellors, teachers, social workers—who stepped up, leaned in, and sat with their students as they explored masculinity on a deeper level.
Read MoreWe won’t make headway on the movement to end gender-based violence if boys don’t see themselves within it. Boys won’t see themselves included unless they truly are.
Read MoreAs we work towards a culture of justice, love and communicative collaboration, Creating Consent Culture is a well-researched, detailed and facilitator-oriented set of ideas and workshop outlines to help us on the way.
Read MoreThe human body is designed to resist toxicity. It’s not until we’re immersed in it for a long period of time that it becomes dangerous. That’s why the most important thing we can do as role models and mentors in boys’ lives is to provide an unwavering sensation of being known and loved.
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