Mr. Branch, born and raised by a single mother on welfare in Oakland, California, took the road less traveled to get out of the ghetto and attended one of California’s premier engineering colleges, California Polytechnic – San Luis Obispo. Ashanti studied Civil Engineering and worked as a construction project manager in his first [...]

Rite Ways Radio

~ Episode 10 ~

The Voice of the Future with Ashanti Branch

Mr. Branch, born and raised by a single mother on welfare in Oakland, California, took the road less traveled to get out of the ghetto and attended one of California’s premier engineering colleges, California Polytechnic – San Luis Obispo. Ashanti studied Civil Engineering and worked as a construction project manager in his first career. After tutoring struggling students and realizing his true passion was teaching, Mr. Branch changed careers. He had suddenly found the “fire” that was missing in his life and he hoped to ignite a similar enthusiasm in his young students.

In 2004 as a first year teacher, Ashanti started The Ever Forward Club to provide a support group for African American and Latino males, who were not achieving to the level of their potential. Since then, The Ever Forward Club has grown to serve both young men and women and become a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The Ever Forward Club has helped 100% of its members graduate high school and 93% of them have gone on to attend college.

With over 19 years mentoring youth and 10 of those years as a math teacher educating inner city youth, Ashanti was awarded with a Fulbright Exchange Fellowship to India, a Rotary Club Cultural Ambassadorial Fellowship to Mexico and a 2010 Teacher of the Year Award from the Alameda-Contra Costa County Math Educators.

Highlights

During our session with Mr. Branch we explore some big questions, like:

Where are the gaps in traditional education, and how is it affecting students?

How can adults support youth to become more accountable for their actions?

Why is it sometimes more effective to toss out a curriculum and go with the flow?

How can we make consent education and healthy boundaries a fun learning experience for boys?

How do we leverage our stories for personal and collective healing?

And WAY MORE!

Ashanti and his team are true pioneers in the world of youth development. We found about him after watching The Mast You Live In (watch it!) and have been taking notes on how to build a true youth-centered organization since our first conversation a few years back. Give us a listen and let us know what you think!

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Michael C. Reichert, Ph.D., is founding director of the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives at the University of Pennsylvania, and a clinical practitioner specializing in boys and men who has conducted extensive research globally. From counseling youth involved in the juvenile justice system through experiences leading treatment teams in [...]

Rite Ways Radio

~ Episode 9 ~

How to Raise a Boy with Michael Reichert

Michael C. Reichert, Ph.D., is founding director of the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives at the University of Pennsylvania, and a clinical practitioner specializing in boys and men who has conducted extensive research globally. From counseling youth involved in the juvenile justice system through experiences leading treatment teams in a psychiatric hospital, Dr. Reichert has tested his understanding of children with practical, even life-saving, challenges.

His upcoming book titled How to Raise a Boy – The Power of Connection to Build Good Men will be published in April 2019, and is now available for pre-order. In this timely and important volume, Reichert explains how the paradigms about boys needing to be stoic and “man like” can actually cause them to shut down, leading to anger, isolation, and disrespectful or even destructive behaviors. The key to changing the culture lies in how parents, educators, and mentors help boys develop socially and emotionally.

Highlights

During our session with Dr. Reichert we touch on key questions, like:

What is happening in our culture right now in regards to male behavior?

Why is a “relationship first” mentality so important when working with boys, in particular?

How can single moms best support their boys as they move toward becoming a man?

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing boys today?

What were some pivotal moments from your own experiences that have shaped your work with boys?

We wish we had more time to dive even deeper with Michael! His upcoming book goes even deeper into these themes, as well as other critical topics such as technology, addiction, and mental health for developing males. Be sure to pre-order your copy today and/or request it at your local bookstore.

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Boysen Hodgson is the Communications Director for the ManKind Project USA, part of a global brotherhood of nonprofits conducting transformational initiation programs for men at every stage of life, and supporting a network of men’s groups serving over 10,000 men every week. He’s the author of “The New Macho,” a credo for the [...]

Dominique Davis is a pinnacle in his Seattle community. Devoting himself to working with some of the most disadvantaged youth in our region, “Coach Dom” once made his greatest impact through sports, mentoring and coaching kids to keep them off the streets and on a better path. Now, as the founder of Community [...]

As an initiated European-American woman, Darcy’s strongest passion is exploring how those of us disconnected from our traditional rites of passage can reclaim and create rites and practices meaningful and relevant in our lives and communities at this time, in ways that are in solidarity with the struggles of marginalized communities in our [...]

Rite Ways Radio

~ Episode 8 ~

Masculinity 2.0 with Boysen Hodgson

Boysen Hodgson is the Communications Director for the ManKind Project USA, part of a global brotherhood of nonprofits conducting transformational initiation programs for men at every stage of life, and supporting a network of men’s groups serving over 10,000 men every week. He’s the author of “The New Macho,” a credo for the mature masculine shared over 50,000 times and published in numerous blogs, magazines and books. 

His mission is to transform culture by designing change and building bridges. Boysen completed the New Warrior Training Adventure in April 2004 and has been working with men ever since, supporting and challenging them to break out of isolation, take responsibility for their emotional riches, and live their full potential … starting with himself. He’s dedicated to nurturing the powerful, emotionally aware, accountable, and purpose driven men we need to help heal our society’s deepest wounds.  He is an urban homesteader, a husband, and a proud papa

Key Points

During our session with Boysen we explore questions like:

What’s up with masculinity today?

How can men start their path to healing?

Why is it so hard to get men engaged as mentors?

What is the link between fatherhood and initiation?

And much, much more…

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Clem has a varied background in youth mentoring and documentary filmmaking. They are an evolving, passionate, dedicated storyteller & guide with 9 years media production experience and over 7 years experience mentoring at-risk youth. They currently work as Field Manager at a short term residential crisis intervention program focused on horticulture therapy, wellness, [...]

Michael Meade, D.H.L., is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He combines hypnotic storytelling, street-savvy perceptiveness, and spellbinding interpretations of ancient myths with a deep knowledge of cross-cultural rituals. He has an unusual ability to distill and synthesize these disciplines, tapping into ancestral sources of wisdom and connecting [...]