IBSC Better Boys, Better Men

Sterling HallAn IBSC Online Program with Andrew Reiner
Co-hosted by Sterling Hall School (Canada)

May 4 and 11, 2022

 

Based on his extensive research and work on masculinity, Andrew Reiner facilitates two interactive workshops focusing on the development of a new masculinity.

The New Toolkit Boys Need for Success

Wednesday, May 4
4:00 – 5:30 PM EDT, 9:00 – 10:30 PM BST, 10:00 – 11:30 PM SAST 
Thursday, May 5
6:00 – 7:30 AM AEST, 8:00 – 9:30 AM NZST
Check the time in your time zone.

Boys are growing up in a world that's radically different from the one their parents knew. Success today both in and beyond the classroom requires self-awareness, self-restraint, empathy, curiosity, collaboration, and communication skills. Yet many parents, teachers, and coaches are still raising, teaching, and mentoring boys in ways familiar to previous generations: Guys don't cry; they have to handle everything on their own and always be “right;” they need to swallow back their feelings and always appear cool, in control; they have to be the top gun. This old masculine script isn't preparing boys for a new world. For example, boys are falling behind girls in grades, work ethic, literacy levels, and landing white-collar, entry-level jobs because the old script demeans intellectual curiosity in the classroom and working hard to achieve desired results.

Join facilitated discussions to examine and reconsider ways to equip boys with the new tools they need in college and the workplace.

The Silent Epidemic: Boys' Lack of Emotional Resiliency

Wednesday, May 11
4:00 – 5:30 PM EDT, 9:00 – 10:30 PM BST, 10:00 – 11:30 PM SAST 
Thursday, May 12
6:00 – 7:30 AM AEST, 8:00 – 9:30 AM NZST
Check the time in your time zone.

Boys are in the midst of an unprecedented epidemic of emotional isolation, loneliness, anxiety, depression, and, increasingly, suicide. Statistics point to a growing crisis among boys and young men that was already surging before the pandemic. The epidemic has existed behind the curtain, but many of us didn’t know. Note this alarming statistic: Many suicides among boys and young men aren’t the result of chronic mental illness but rather the inability to cope with such stressors as breakups with girlfriends. Discuss and learn  small but profound ways we can get boys talking in school—not as an alternative to receiving professional help but as a way to help them learn simple coping strategies, find the commiseration and support from peers they sorely lack, and start on the path to greater emotional well-being. 

Join facilitated discussions to discover ways to equip boys with the new tools they need to hone these coping strategies and build connection.

Who Should Attend?

Administrators, teachers, coaches, and other leaders in boys’ schools who want to gain a deeper understanding of the subtle but profound ways boys are struggling today and how we can help them build greater resiliency, hone communication skills, and develop a new masculine identity that will help them thrive and succeed

Attendees must commit to both sessions.

Format

Participate in two scheduled 90-minute interactive sessions using Zoom. Reiner will facilitate each session with thought-provoking input, real-life case studies, and breakout conversations, assisted by faculty from Sterling Hall School (Canada).

Registration

IBSC member rate: US$225 
Available exclusively to IBSC members, this event is limited to the first 60 people who register. Registration has closed.

Refund Policy 
IBSC will refund 90% of registration fees if a written request is received two weeks prior to the class. No refunds will be made for cancellations received after this time. Schools seeking to register an alternate to replace a participant unable to attend should contact IBSC@theibsc.org.

Please note: Watch your email for login information for your online class the Friday before the class starts. If you registered for the class later than this time, watch for login information within 24 business hours.

Facilitator

Andrew ReinerAndrew Reiner

Andrew Reiner is a writer and full-time lecturer at Towson University where he teaches men’s studies, writing, and cultural studies. 

He created two popular courses: The Changing Face of Masculinity and Leading Lives That Matter. Reiner’s work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NBC THINK, among other publications.

Released in December 2020, his book Better Boys, Better Men is a one-on-one with the reader about the many ways that the static, business-as-usual masculine identity we tolerate and encourage no longer serves boys and men—nor the rest of us—in a 21st century where boys need a toolkit that better reflects changing societal needs. After researching this topic exhaustively over four years to write the book, Reiner advances this conversation and adds in greater, more honest complexity. It goes beyond merely torching masculinity without any constructive ideas about what needs to rise up from the ashes.