CLUBS
Ever forward CLUbs
CLUBS
Ever forward CLUbs
The Ever Forward Club
A mentor-led, year-long youth-development and mentoring program for young men in grades six through twelve. The organization’s signature program, the Club provides an environment for young men to navigate life challenges and human emotions they are often not given the space, or the tools, to do so safely.
The Peer Mentoring Club
This program trains young people how to help others address mental health concerns so that everyone can thrive. By training young people and providing support, resources, and a safe place to talk openly about ones struggles, feelings, and the difficulties we bring awareness to mental health issues, create opportunities for people who are struggling with mental health issues, understand each other more, and grow as a community.
Social Emotional Leadership Academy
6 week program for interns to launch projects and initiatives for their local and online communities, and become responsible and compassionate adults by providing them with opportunities for personal growth, mindfulness, and and reflection
Ever Forward Clubs aim to address the underlying causes of dropout rates, youth violence, and the growing achievement gap, through Mentoring and Social Emotional Learning.
By Providing Support, Resources, Training, and Mentoring young adults and students can effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to:
Understand and Manage Emotions
Set and Achieve Positive Goals
Feel and Show Empathy for Others
Establish and Maintain Positive Relationships
Make Responsible Decisions
We Support Our Youth and Mentors
- We recognize that Club mentors are the key to transformative Clubs, so we invest significantly in support for our Mentors -
Annual 2 Day Mentor Training
Monthly Mentor Meetings
Help Members to Network, Exchange Advice, and Troubleshoot
Optional Overnight Mentor Retreat
Opportunities To Train and Lead
EVER FORWARD CLUB
The Ever Forward Club
EVER FORWARD CLUB
The Ever Forward Club
The Ever Forward Club is A mentor-led, year-long youth-development and mentoring program for young men in grades six through twelve. The organization’s signature program, the Club provides an environment for young men to navigate life challenges and human emotions they are often not given the space, or the tools, to do so safely.
What is the structure?
Weekly after school meetings at a school site
Each Club is led by a male mentor at the school
We create a safe space for youth to be their true selves without any judgement in a fun environment
Members develop into a strong community of males who are able to be vulnerable and support each other
Rites of passages, local college visits, fundraising, and optional enrichment experiences
Where it all began…
Ever Forward founder Ashanti Branch started the first Ever Forward Club in 2004 at San Lorenzo High School. While teaching mathematics, Branch observed the young men of color in his classes moving backward academically. After inviting a group of these students to have lunch with him once a week to teach him to be a better teacher, these young men began to reveal that being smart was perceived as being “uncool,” and that challenges in their personal life kept them from making school a priority.
Branch decided to serve these young men as a mentor, and launched the first Ever Forward Club as a support program where at-risk young men could gather over lunch in a mentor-led safe environment, process emotions, and sustain each other through their struggles.
For a decade, Branch perfected the Ever Forward Club model and expanded slowly to more schools. Seeing the need to reach more schools and students with the tools, support, and structure that Ever Forward had developed to allow young men a safe place to openly share their emotions and build character, Branch left his job at an Assistant Principal in the Oakland Unified School District in August 2016 to dedicate himself full-time to building out Ever Forward’s Clubs and Programs.
To Learn More or Bring The Ever Forward Club to Your School
PEER MENTORING CLUB
PEER MENTORING CLUB
PEER MENTORING CLUB
PEER MENTORING CLUB
The Peer Mentoring Club trains young people how to help others and provides them with a safe and supportive environment so they can address and increase awareness of mental health issues in their communities.
If you would like to become a Peer Mentor, or bring the Peer Mentoring Program to your School or Community Organization
Become Empowered to take a proactive role in addressing the mental issues your communities are facing
Create Opportunities for people who are struggling with difficulties
Understand each other more and grow as a community
Increase Awareness of and Address Mental Health Issues
We’ll Provide you with Support, Resources, Training and a Safe Place to openly talk about feelings and the difficulties we face
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Social EMotional Leadership Academy
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Social EMotional Leadership Academy
The Social Emotional Leadership Academy is a 15-month program for young men that provides the Training, Support, Resources, and Real Life Work Experience to launch their own projects and initiatives for their local communities, take a proactive role in uplifting others, and become responsible compassionate adults.
How Does it Work?
First Summer: 5-week Summer Academy (Stipend provided)
Young Men work on #MillionMaskMovement expansion
Work with a team to develop a civic engagement Project for their local community.
Workshops for personal growth, mindfulness, and wellness.
College, Career, and Creative Expression field trips
School Year: Cohorts meet for virtual and in-person meetings
Young Men Lead a Peer Mentoring Club
Lead and Plan EFC and #MillionMaskMovement events.
Second Summer: 5-week Summer Academy (Stipend provided)
APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN
Applications accepted until program start of June 14
For questions please email everforwardclub@gmail.com