How Young Men’s Health Groups Help Young Men Feel Seen in SF Schools
Dec 4, 2025
At one of our Young Men’s Health Group gatherings, a young man stood beside the mask-making table, looked at the crowd gathering around him, and said, “One Thing I learned today was it's not good to block your feelings..” For a moment, the group got quiet. You could feel how much it meant for someone to finally say out loud what so many were carrying.
That moment was part of eight weeks of steady, real work inside Ever Forward’s Young Men’s Health Groups led by Justin Martinz across Burton HS, June Jordan HS, Balboa HS, Alta Vista School, Hoover Middle School, John O’Connell HS, and Mission HS. Each school holds its own set of pressures—academics, family responsibilities, social expectations—and young men often feel they must hold everything in. These groups offered something different: space, honesty, and community.
The curriculum began with Group Introductions and Community Agreements, grounding everyone in trust and accountability. From there, each week built on the last as young men explored topics that rarely get real airtime in a classroom:
Taking Off The Mask and understanding what they show and what they hide
Gender & Masculinity and the expectations put on young men
Healthy Sexuality & Relationships rooted in respect and clarity
LGBTQIA+ conversations that centered inclusion and understanding
Pregnancy, STIs/HIV, and navigating real-life decisions
Prevention and Accessing Care to stay healthy and informed
Masculinity in the Media and how culture shapes identity
Youth Reflections
Helping Young Men feel safe to share their truth.
“One thing I learned today was it’s not good to block your feelings.”
“I learned that letting your feelings out is the best thing to stay in controll.”
“I appreciate the group lettin me speak… Ima take the advice I got from the group & use it.”
“I learned about unhealthy actions in a relationship. I liked the community in today’s group.”
These were conversations where young men practiced speaking honestly, listening deeply, and learning skills they could carry back into their lives. Over time, you could see them support one another and start to trust their own voice.
By the end of the eight weeks, 31 young men completed the full program. Their growth showed up not only in circle, but in their handwritten reflections:
Young Men Driving Change During Mental Health Action Day
So when Mental Health Action Day arrived in May, they were ready. They stepped into leadership—inviting their peers to make masks, explaining the activity, and holding space the same way they had learned to do for each other. You could see the curriculum come alive: communication skills, empathy, emotional awareness, all showing up in real time.
This is what Ever Forward is built for. When young men have a place to take off the mask, learn real skills, and practice community, they become leaders who strengthen the entire school. Through the #MillionMaskMovement, these breakthroughs are happening globally—but here in the SF Bay Area, we witnessed them up close.
As we close out the year, we invite you to help keep programs like this growing.
Make a Mask. Start your own moment of reflection.
Donate. Help bring Young Men’s Health Groups to more campuses and more young men who need this space.
Your support fuels courage. It builds community. And it ensures young men across the Bay Area continue to feel seen—one circle at a time.
