We meet youth where they are.
If you’re raising a young teenage boy, you likely know how much time he’s spending on video games. You might be worried about screen time or online toxicity. But for boys, gaming and digital spaces are almost always social. 91% of video-gaming boys play with others rather than alone, and most boys say they feel an authentic sense of connection while they play.
The question isn’t whether boys will be online. It’s whether the spaces they’re in are setting them up to thrive.
NGM Alliance is a free, safe online community hosted on Discord for masculine-identifying youth in middle school and high school to build connections with like-minded peers—offering them a place where boys' mental wellness, peer support and real friendship are the norm.
Operating since 2020, NGM Alliance has become the home base for a network that stretches across Canada and the United States. Youth use the server every day to hang out, share what’s going on in their lives, and participate in events.
Youth participants have sent almost a million messages to each other since 2020.
The most popular games include Minecraft, Fortnite, Valorant and Dungeons & Dragons.
Youth average nearly 60 collective hours per week together on voice channels.
Since we started, there have been zero incidents of raids or online exploitation.
We’re drawing a blueprint for a better internet.
In a time when toxic masculinity and the risk of radicalization seem to define boys’ experiences online, NGM Alliance is proof that a positive path forward is possible. Since 2020, we’ve been learning what it takes to create a digital space where young people feel safe, connected and heard—and we’ve been documenting what we’ve learned so other organizations can do the same.
We believe this body of work can help shift how our sector approaches digital spaces for young people—and how we can support boys and young men in particular.
Creating Community Online
Our evaluation report documents what we’ve learned over five years of building and sustaining NGM Alliance—how we do what we do, what impact it has, and this means for the broader field of youth-serving organizations.
Systems of Care Model
Our approach to online community is built on four interconnected Systems of Care, adapted from the Circle of Courage framework. Together, they form the foundation for how we design, facilitate and sustain digital spaces where youth thrive.
How to Build an Online Youth Community
Our video series translates five years of practice into practical guidance for organizations looking to create their own safe and impactful online communities with the young people they serve.
We’re not doing it alone.
This work is made possible by the support of partners and funders who share our commitment to creating better online spaces for young people. What started as a small pilot during the pandemic has grown into an innovative strategy that is attracting national and international attention—and investment. We’re grateful to work alongside organizations that believe, as we do, that young people deserve online spaces designed with their well-being in mind.
Women and Gender Equality Canada
Funded the development and evaluation of NGM Alliance as a promising practice in which healthy online community fosters belonging and connection, and mobilizes boys as allies to prevent gender-based violence. Read more →
Young Futures
Supporting us in scaling NGM Alliance to the United States, expanding our reach and testing our model in new contexts. Read more →
Inspired Internet Pledge
We are a proud advisor to the Digital Wellness Lab's Inspired Internet Pledge, a coalition of over 60 organizations committed to making the internet a safer and healthier place for young people. Read more →
Students Commission of Canada
We’re part of Hearing Unheard Moments, a collaboration of youth-serving organizations to address youth grievances, create safe third spaces, and prevent violence through upstream, community-based approaches. Read more →
Led by youth themselves.
Our Youth Advisory Council ensures that the voices of young people are at the centre of how NGM Alliance grows and evolves. Members shape programming decisions, provide feedback on community practices, and help guide the direction of the project as it scales.
FAQ
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All youth who identify as male or nonbinary in middle school and high school. Next Gen Men programs are open and inclusive of 2SLGBTQ+ youth.
Please note that while we primarily onboard youth in Grades 7-9, we also welcome participants from Grades 10-12 who have been with us since the server’s early days. These older members serve as trailblazers and leaders within our community. As our server expands and our youth mature, we remain dedicated to establishing sustainable systems that extend opportunities for friendships and connection beyond our server.
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The Discord server is facilitated and moderated by three Next Gen Men youth staff team: Jonathon Reed, our Director of Programs (BA, BEd, MEd); Stephanie Wright, our Manager of Youth Programs and Partnerhsips (BSc); and our Youth Program Coordinator (currently pursuing a BSW). All staff working with Next Gen Men youth programs undergo a vulnerable sector screening.
All participants on the Discord server are screened with a voice call before they are given access in order to ensure that it continues to be a safe place for our young people. We are fully committed to the safety of all youth and facilitators on the server through our System of Safety, which includes:
Direct messaging safeguards: Our staff team practices proactive password sharing among themselves.
Confidential youth reporting system: Youth can anonymously report concerns or issues directly to Next Gen Men’s Executive Director via a server-accessible form.
Reporting hierarchy: Our youth team regularly communicates with each other about issues and concerns, and have been trained in policies and procedures related to confidentiality and reporting.
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We understand the concern, which is why we make sure our time online revolves around positive social interaction—things like Minecraft, Dungeons & Dragons and meaningful activities built from the Next Gen Men youth program.
We only facilitate a few times a week, and the fact that we’re on Discord means that youth can drop in and drop out when it works for them.
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Get a best friend to join too—we’ve had boys join in pairs before and that’s been a cool way for them to connect. No matter what, we regularly create opportunities for youth to get to know each other. We’ve seen boys become best friends while 600 kilometres apart.
