webinar

Building Belonging for Boys of Color

DATE

August 11, 2026

TIME

1-2p ET / 10-11a PT

LOCATION

Virtual

What Boys Need to Thrive and What We Can Do

As loneliness among young people reaches historic levels, boys of color often experience unique barriers to belonging, emotional connection, and authentic relationships. Join us to explore what research and community practice teach us about creating environments where boys of color can thrive.
Register

Drawing on decades of research and the lived experiences of young men and mentors, this conversation will examine both the causes of isolation and promising approaches that foster connection, resilience, and belonging. The discussion will also feature a panel of young people reflecting on their own experiences and what adults can do differently. Funders and nonprofit leaders will leave with practical insights into how philanthropy can help build the relationships, communities, and conditions that support the well-being of boys of color.

This program is free and open to grantmakers and others in the thriving youth community. GTY’s webinars and funder learning opportunities are made possible through the time and expertise of presenters from the field.

In the spirit of transparency, GTY will make available the list of webinar participants to presenters upon request, unless the registrant requests to remain anonymous (please indicate your preference via the registration form).

Speakers

Ashanti Branch

Founder and Executive Director, the Ever Forward Club

Ashanti Branch is a recipient of the 2023 US Surgeon General’s Medallion, 4x TEDx speaker, podcaster, and Fulbright Fellow. His work with youth as an ‘emotional locksmith’ has been featured on CNN’s This is Life with Lisa Ling, and on the Kelly Clarkson Show.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the student dropout rate through youth mentorship. He is also the creator of the award-winning #MillionMaskMovement, with 75,000 participants worldwide. Ashanti will be joined by a panel of youth participants from The Ever Forward Club.

Image of Niobe Way

Niobe Way, Ph.D.

Professor of Developmental Psychology, New York University

Dr. Niobe Way is a internationally recognized leader in the fields of human development and psychology. Her work focuses on social and emotional development, how cultural ideologies shape child development and families in the U.S. and China, and on how to use the method of listening with curiosity to make a more caring, connected, and just world.

Dr. Way is a Professor of Developmental Psychology, the founder of the Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH), and the Director of the Science of Human Connection Lab, all at NYU. Dr. Way received her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, her doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard School of Education, and was an NIMH postdoctoral fellow in the Psychology Department at Yale.

Her newest book is Rebels with a Cause: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture. Her latest co-edited book is: The Crisis of Connection: Its Roots, Consequences, and Solution (NYU Press).

Presented by

Grantmakers for Thriving Youth

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