How do we teach our boys to become better men?

Newfoundland director, Justin Simms, tries to answer this vital question through his National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature documentary, Sons. Next Gen Men is proud to partner with the NFB to bring Sons to the screen in Toronto, with a community screening on Thursday, January 23rd at CSI Spadina - Suite 101.

How do we teach our boys to become better men?

Newfoundland director, Justin Simms, tries to answer this vital question through his National Film Board of Canada (NFB) feature documentary, Sons. Next Gen Men is proud to partner with the NFB to bring Sons to the screen in Vancouver, with a community screening on Saturday, January 18th at The Cinematheque

As we approach the holiday season, we invite you to join us for a special online screening of We Will Be Brave, a powerful documentary that follows the journey of Toronto’s “Good Guise” collective. These artists - ranging from photographers to beatboxers, poets to martial artists - are using their craft to spark conversations about healthy masculinity and break the cycle of shame and punishment. Check out the trailer here!

Hosted by Next Gen Men and supported by Women and Gender Equality Canada, this one-day conference will catalyze conversations about boys and men today, equip attendees with deepened skills and understanding to engage men and boys in their communities, and effectively build connections and collaboration with stakeholders from across settings where boys and men learn, work, pray, and play.

This November marks 10 years of Next Gen Men striving for a future where boys and men feel less pain and cause less harm—now that’s a reason to celebrate!

To mark this milestone, we’re thrilled to bring our community together in Calgary this November. Join us for an unforgettable evening as we celebrate with a special screening of clips from the award-winning documentary We Will Be Brave.

Have you ever noticed a friend say something really harsh about their partner, and then wonder what else is happening in that relationship? Have you ever seen a family member mistreat a loved one, and think “this isn’t good… but what can I say?”

It can be really difficult to know what to say and do in situations like this. 

In this workshop, we will learn and practice the skills needed to respond to someone using abusive or unhealthy behaviors in their relationship.

All of us can likely recall situations where we witnessed something that didn't feel right or went against our values but didn't manage to step in and interrupt the behavior. Opportunities to actively interrupt and stop harmful behavior and violence often present themselves, but sometimes it can feel easier said than done.

Join us to develop your skills in being an active bystander so that you can feel confident interrupting harmful behaviour. Join the Pathways Community to attend!

If a friend you knew was feeling stuck in an unhealthy relationship, or experiencing violence at the hands of their partner, would you know what to say or how to help?

We’re not all emergency responders or social workers, and that’s totally okay. We don’t have to be in order to be supportive, safe, and helpful to the people around us. However, we do need to learn (and practice!) some skills. 

Using scenarios, case studies, and other exercises, we will work in small groups to practice these skills — recognize, empathize, ask, and listen — together!

Why are young men so drawn to hip-hop, and how does it influence their values? Did you ever find yourself listening to hip-hop because it was being played at parties and clubs? What do you think the artists' stories tell us about their experiences with masculinity? Who has been forgotten in hip-hop history, and who is now emerging and evolving the genre?

Join us on Sunday, July 7th at Elysian Coffee Roasters on West 7th at 2pm PT as we dig into the nuances of a much-beloved genre of music and learn with and from each other!

Join the Next Gen Men community as we watch the film Manchester by the Sea and discuss the themes, our reactions to the film, and what lessons we’re taking from it! This film explores grief, loss, and healing, as it follows two male protagonists negotiating identity, emotion, and support.

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Calgary!

Across time and cultures, how have gender norms shaped who could compose and play music, and how? Is music gendered? Are we encouraged (or discouraged) to like certain kinds of music via gender stereotypes? How has patriarchy shaped the music industry of yesterday, and what is shaping the industry of tomorrow?

Join us for the first NGM Circle event in Vancouver since before the pandemic began! We’re exploring the links between masculinity and music, and we hope you’ll join us!

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Vancouver!

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships.

This time, we’re talking about hair! Regardless of gender, hair plays a big role in our identity — how we present to the world, how we express ourselves, and it impacts how confident we feel. We are particularly interested in exploring how hair plays a role in our understanding and performance of masculinity. Whether it’s hair loss, hairstyles, body hair, or facial hair, hair is very tied to gender performance and expression. 

Join us as we untangle some questions about gender and hair!

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Calgary!

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Toronto!

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships.

This time, we're following up on a previous discussion we had in March about sex and relationships and focusing the conversation on the influence of technology and the internet. 💻

This discussion is an opportunity to reflect on the impacts that technology and the internet have had on dating and sex; to reflect on the gendered aspects of these impacts; and to share personal experiences, what we’ve learned, and how we can continue to create the conditions for healthy relationships both online and offline.

The demand for skilled trades and construction workers in Canada is soaring. However, despite opportunities for career growth, high salaries and workers' rights protections, these sectors face challenges related to employee mental health, and struggle to recruit from underrepresented groups. What does gender have to do with this?

How can we create safe, healthy workplaces where people thrive? How can we support culture change for the sake of all genders in our current and future workforce?

Attend Pathways’ FREE webinar on Thursday 16th May at 10 am - 11:30 am Pacific Time to find out. 

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships.

This time, we are leaning into genuine interest. 

Whether with friends, family, partners, or coworkers, reading people can be tricky. How can we tell if someone is genuinely interested in us and what we have to say (versus just being polite)?

And even knowing ourselves isn’t straightforward – how do we know when we’re genuinely interested in someone? Or are we more invested in being liked by that person? How can we tell the difference?

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Calgary!

⭐️ How do we navigate triggers that come up for us in gender justice work? How can we stay in a relationship with others, particularly when engaging men and boys, even when we disagree? How do we give and receive feedback with grace?

Join us on Wednesday, March 27th at 1 pm MT for this workshop led by Lana Wells, MSW, Chair of Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence, and Jake Stika, Executive Director at Next Gen Men. 

Join us for our first-ever theatre event! We're watching the play Four Minutes Twelve Seconds at the Tarragon Theatre, and then discussing the play at the Annex Social. 

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships.

This time, we're taking y’all to new heights! That’s right, we’re talking about the impact of gender stereotypes and expectations when it comes to our height. Men, women, and nonbinary folks of different heights all experience the world differently — but why is that? Is heightism (tall privilege) real? What does it have to do with patriarchy? Let’s get into it. 

So are you struggling to respond effectively to youth when they say or do potentially harmful things? Interested in bringing transformative conversations into your community or work? Eager to get some practice? Look no further!

Join the Pathways community on Tuesday, 9th April at 10am Pacific Time for this 90 minute session with Jonathon, Director of Programs at NGM.

In this interactive online webinar for parents and guardians, we leverage Next Gen Men’s research and on-the-ground experience to explore the deep impact of integrating rites of passage with principles of positive masculinity, and how parents of masculine-identifying youth can offer them transformative experiences on their journey towards manhood, plus an opportunity for Q&A.

In this interactive session for camp professionals, we leverage our research and on-the-ground experience to discuss how camp professionals can integrate principles of positive masculinity into the framework of rites of passage to create transformative experiences for masculine-identifying youth.

Deep Dives are member-led, one-hour discussions on wide-ranging topics — but always linked in some way to masculinities, gender equity, mental wellness, and/or healthy relationships. This time, we're talking about sex and relationships.

Whether addressed together or separately, sex and dating are two topics that are the subjects of copious information, norms, and advice (of varying quality), particularly relating to masculinity and gender roles. This discussion provides an opportunity to reflect on what people heard about sex and relationships in the past, how these teachings shaped people's views of masculinity, and how people’s views have changed in the years since.

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Vancouver!

⭐️ How can we best approach conversations about gender with boys in K-12 spaces? What biases might we need to confront in ourselves as educators in order to best support our students? Join our panel of experts on Wednesday March 20th, 2024, at 9am PST to find out.

Meet Ups are casual, conversation-based events. You'll get to hear a little bit about what Next Gen Men is (and what we're up to!), but the bulk of the time is dedicated to small group discussions about the topics that matter to us! We get the ball rolling using discussion prompts, and the conversations build from there.  Hope to see you there, Calgary!