The Ever Forward Club

The Ever Forward Club to create communities of students who are setting and achieving their personal goals, inside and out

to create communities of students who are setting and achieving their personal goals, inside and outside the classroom.

08/09/2026

At Santa Cruz High School, students participated in the Taking Off the Mask exercise.

On the front of the mask, they wrote what people see every day.

Generous.

Energetic.

Dimples.

On the back, they wrote what often stays hidden.

Sad.

Mad.

Emotionless.

Stress.

The masks were then collected, shuffled, and read aloud anonymously.

No one knew whose mask was being read.

What became clear wasn't how different the students were.

It was how similar their hidden experiences sounded.

The mask creates the illusion that we're alone.

The exercise reveals something different.

Beneath our personalities, backgrounds, and life experiences, we're often carrying the same emotions, asking the same questions, and hiding the same fears.

Connection doesn't begin when we have everything in common.

It begins when we have the courage to tell the truth.

That's why the Young Men's Conference 2026 exists.

It's a place where young men can leave performance behind, experience real brotherhood, and discover that what they've been carrying doesn't have to be carried alone.

📅 November 14, 2026

📍 Oakland, CA

🎟️ Register today:
https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/r5gkMYvcIoBKA4xWb97k

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/08/2026

🚨 YMC 2026 REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN! REGISTER YOUR YOUNG MAN TODAY.

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/r5gkMYvcIoBKA4xWb97k

There are only 200 spots available. Once they're filled, registration will close.

Every young man deserves adults who believe in him.

🫂 Every young man deserves people who see his potential before the world tells him who he is.

💪🏾 Every young man deserves to be challenged, encouraged, and reminded that he's capable of more than he believes.

🤝🏾 Every young man deserves a brotherhood that has his back.

On Saturday, November 14, 200 young men will come together in Oakland for a day of mentorship, powerful speakers, fitness, boxing, art, workshops, and experiences designed to build confidence, character, and lifelong relationships.

If you believe in a young man, invest in him.

Register today before all 200 spots are filled.

https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/r5gkMYvcIoBKA4xWb97k

Our founder, Ashanti Branch, will be joining The Boys’ Club of New York on September 18 for their first-ever conference,...
08/08/2026

Our founder, Ashanti Branch, will be joining The Boys’ Club of New York on September 18 for their first-ever conference, The Right to Childhood.

He’ll be part of a panel on centering youth voices, a conversation that sits right at the heart of why Ever Forward Club exists.

For more than 20 years, Ashanti has worked directly with young men and listened to what they’re actually carrying. Not what adults assume they need. Not what a system decides for them. Their real experiences, their real challenges, and their real voices.

Young people deserve to be part of the conversations and decisions that shape their lives.

We’re grateful to The Boys’ Club of New York for bringing people together around that work, and proud to have Ashanti representing Ever Forward Club in the room.

📅 Friday, September 18, 2026 | 10 AM–4 PM
📍 873 Broadway, New York City

Registration is open:
https://bcny.org/bcny-conference-the-right-to-childhood/

08/07/2026

At the allcove workshop, Ashanti Branch asked the group a direct question.

Do your friends know the real you, or are you wearing a mask?

The question challenges something many young men experience but rarely address.

It is common to have friends, to spend time together, and to share surface-level moments. But that does not always mean there is real understanding or connection.

Many young men keep certain parts of themselves hidden. Their struggles, fears, and deeper thoughts are often not shared, even within their closest circles.

This creates a gap between who they are and what others see.

Over time, that gap can lead to isolation, even when they are surrounded by people.

This is why the concept of the “mask” matters.

It is not just about hiding emotions. It is about the absence of spaces where young men feel safe enough to be fully known.

The question then becomes whether those spaces exist in their lives, and if not, what it would take to create them.

The Young Men’s Conference 2026 is designed to build those spaces. Environments where young men can move beyond surface-level relationships and experience real connection.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

👉 https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/06/2026

At the allcove workshop, Ashanti Branch asked the group a direct question.

When was the last time you were truly vulnerable?

Not a surface-level response, but an honest expression of what you are actually feeling.

The weight of that question is significant because many young people do not have a clear answer.

There are few spaces where young men feel safe enough to speak openly without fear of judgment, dismissal, or misunderstanding.

As a result, they remain silent.

Over time, that silence becomes normalized, and the ability to express vulnerability becomes more difficult.

This highlights an important reality.

Vulnerability is not just something that happens. It is something that must be practiced in environments that feel safe and intentional.

This is why spaces like allcove matter.

They provide an opportunity for young people to begin that process, to experience being heard, and to build trust over time.

It also raises a broader question.

If that space does not exist in your life, what would it take to find one or create one within your own community?

The Young Men’s Conference 2026 is designed to expand these kinds of spaces. Bringing young men together to engage in real conversations and build meaningful connection.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

👉 https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/05/2026

At the allcove workshop, the space was not just for youth. Teachers and educators were invited into the experience as well.

They participated in the “Taking Off the Mask” exercise, reflecting on what they show to the world and what they keep hidden.

This matters because even adults, especially those in professional roles, often do not feel safe speaking openly about their mental health.

There is a real concern that vulnerability can impact how they are perceived, their job security, or their role within an institution.

As a result, many choose to remain silent. They continue to show up for others while carrying their own challenges internally.

This silence can be isolating and, over time, harmful.

Creating space for educators to reflect and share is a critical step. When adults are given the opportunity to process their own experiences, they are better equipped to support the young people around them.

Change does not only happen with youth. It begins within the communities and systems that surround them.

The Young Men’s Conference 2026 is designed to extend this kind of impact. Creating spaces where honesty, reflection, and connection are possible for both young men and the adults who guide them.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

👉 https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/04/2026

Sometimes the strongest thing a young person can do is let someone else be there for them.

This moment reminds us that while we often celebrate independence and resilience, every person also needs connection.

No one was designed to carry life's challenges alone.

Young people need trusted adults.

They need mentors.

They need friends who know how to listen instead of judge.

They need spaces where they don't have to pretend everything is okay.

Those moments of connection don't solve every problem.

But they remind someone of something they may desperately need to hear:

"You don't have to carry this by yourself."

If we want a different future for young men, we have to intentionally create more spaces where belonging, trust, and brotherhood are experienced—not just encouraged.

That's why we're building the Young Men's Conference 2026.

On November 14, we'll bring together 200 young men for a day designed to strengthen relationships, encourage honest conversations, and remind every person in the room that real strength is never found in isolation.

📅 Young Men's Conference 2026
November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Register today:
https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/r5gkMYvcIoBKA4xWb97k

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

Credit: on IG.

08/03/2026

“How are you?”

Most people respond the same way.

“I’m fine.”

At the allcove workshop, this question came up in a deeper way. Why do we default to that response even when it does not reflect how we actually feel?

The answer is not complicated.

It feels safer.

Many young people are not sure if someone truly wants to hear the real answer. There is uncertainty about whether they will be understood, supported, or even taken seriously.

So the easier option is chosen.

A simple response that avoids vulnerability.

Over time, this creates a gap between what is shown and what is actually being experienced.

That gap is where isolation grows.

When space is created for honesty, that pattern begins to shift. People start to share more openly, and connection becomes possible.

This is why environments that encourage real conversation matter.

The Young Men’s Conference 2026 is designed to create those environments. A space where young men can move beyond surface-level responses and speak to what they are actually going through.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

👉 https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/02/2026

At June Jordan High School, the Young Men’s Health Group opened with something real.

Ashanti Branch shared his story, not as a presentation, but as an example of what it looks like to be honest and grounded in your experience.

Then Antwone spoke.

He shared that his goal is simple. To be what he did not have when he was younger.

That statement carries weight. It reflects a decision to break cycles and create something different for the next generation.

Alberto followed.

He spoke about his own experience growing up in Oakland, getting into trouble, and how those moments shaped him. Now, he shows up to support young men so they do not have to go through the same path alone.

This is what impact looks like.

Not theory, but lived experience being passed forward with intention.

Young men need to see examples of growth, accountability, and change in real time.

That is what creates connection and opens the door for them to step into something different for themselves.

The Young Men’s Conference 2026 is designed to bring more of these moments together in one space.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

👉 https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Food. Fun. Brotherhood. Transformation.

08/01/2026

At June Jordan High School, Ashanti Branch walked students through the Taking Off the Mask exercise.

The structure is simple. On the front of the mask, you write what you show the world. The version of yourself that feels acceptable, safe, or expected. Words like funny, chill, confident, strong. On the back, you write what you carry but keep hidden. The pressure, the insecurity, the self-doubt, the fear of not being enough.

Then the masks are shared in a space built for honesty.

That is where the shift happens.

Students begin to recognize something deeper than similarity. They recognize themselves in each other. The details of their lives may be different, but the emotional weight is shared.

This is what young men are navigating every day. Not a lack of feeling, but a lack of permission to express it. Not a lack of strength, but a lack of space to be real.

So they adapt. They perform. They carry it quietly.

Until they are given a room where the truth is not only allowed, but met with understanding.

That is the purpose of the Young Men’s Conference 2026.

To create a space where the gap between what is shown and what is felt begins to close. Where young men do not have to manage their emotions alone. Where connection replaces isolation and honesty becomes strength.

Parents, mentors, educators, coaches, this is the work.

📅 Young Men’s Conference 2026, November 14, 2026
📍 Oakland, CA
🎟️ Only 200 seats available

🔗 Join the waitlist now:
https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/hXmlUY0sJU2EOhvKK7zv

Address

475 14th Street , 9th Floor
Oakland, CA
94612

Telephone

+15108546794

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