The Council for Boys and Young Men

In a diverse and dynamic world, facilitators are encouraged to adapt certain aspects of One Circle Foundation curricula to meet the needs of a wide range of participants. While always using the 6 or 7 steps to maintain the fidelity of the model you are using, there are adjustments that can be made to the content to meet the needs of the youth you’re working with... Read More

Names have power. And while you may be utilizing any one or more of our four models, Girls Circle®, The Council for Boys and Young Men®, Unity Circle®, and Women’s Circle® we encourage you to germinate ownership and enthusiasm among the youth or adults you serve by giving them the autonomy to name their Circles. Read More

September 15th – October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month, when Americans celebrate the “histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” One Circle Foundation is dedicated to ensuring equal access to Circles for all youth, including Latine youth, who often face higher than normal rates of depression, alcohol and drug abuse according to the American Addiction Center. To create a safe and supportive environment for these young individuals, we... Read More.

Nancy Roldán Johnson, the Interim Executive Director of One Circle Foundation (OCF), is an active participant in the Community Leadership Program (CLP). Recently, Nancy was interviewed by Lara Herscovitch, the co-creator and editor of the CLP blog, The Circle. In their insightful interview, they delve into discussions about personal values, leadership philosophies, and ... Read more.

Getting youth to engage in support groups can be challenging, especially throughout the Summer. So how do you get youth to WANT to be a part of a support group?

A circle is a universal symbol of inclusivity and belonging. Sometimes when we are new to a community, you may feel like you are out of that communal circle. It can be challenging to see where you fit in. Where do you belong?

Brothers as Allies, a curriculum from The Council for Boys and Young Men, is a program that changed my life forever. Four years ago I was struggling to find my identity. Hungry for a chance to have real interactions with youth. To truly be in the field and help. Help every student I encounter get at least .01% closer to their dreams. Some may see a small percentage, but the trajectory that shifts from the curricula provided by One Circle Foundation literally saves lives. It saved mine.

All of us - of all genders, ages, and cultures - have a role to play in solving this crisis. Underneath the abject horrors of school shootings, below the grasp of automatic rifles and magazine cartridges, exists a teenager, angry, overwhelmed, who’s endured childhood abuse, domestic violence, and severe bullying at school. According to data trackers, the adolescent is, on average, 16 years old.New York Times columnist David Brooks notes this teen is in crisis, isolated, bitter, at a breaking point, and craving revenge, power, and notoriety. And, he is male.  98% of mass shooters are male, as reported in The Violence Project: How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic, 2021, by researchers Jillian Peterson and James Densley. We know this. But do we ask, “Why?”  As gender violence prevention educator and activist, Jackson Katz, asks, why does the media avoid saying so, most often using gender-neutral terms like shooter, perpetrator, or intruder for an action that is patently not gender-neutral? While access to assault weapons must urgently be addressed, it’s also imperative that we dig deeper to uproot a rotted source of male violence deeply embedded in our social