Raising Connected Boys in a Disconnected World

Saturday, March 15, 2025 • 8:45am–4:00pm

Conference Details

Conference Schedule

 
We are committed to supporting busy parents who wish to attend part or all of our program. Please feel free to attend as your schedule allows. As ticket revenues go toward supporting conference costs, ticket cost remains the same.

Societal Problems This Conference Will Address

Inspired by Ruth Whippman’s BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity, this conference seeks to address the following three key societal challenges that affect boys’ ability to form healthy relationships — with themselves, with others, and with the world around them:
 
  1. The Impact of Societal Expectations of Masculinity: From an early age, boys are taught restrictive messages about masculinity, e.g., “Don’t cry” and “Real men don’t ask for help.” These norms can damage their self-relationship and emotional well-being. A recent study (State of American Men 2024: From Crisis and Confusion to Hope) revealed that two-thirds of men ages 18–23 feel, “No one knows the real me.”
  2. The Role of Technology in Shaping Relationships: The rise of digital technology has fundamentally changed the way young people interact, leaving them with fewer opportunities to practice in-person social skills. In addition, the types of content consumed online can skew their perceptions of what healthy relationships look like. These shifts have an impact on the quality of their relationships, both with peers and with themselves.
  3. The Growing Gender Divide: Research shows that Gen Z is dating less and is more politically divided by gender than previous generations. The debates around terms like “toxic masculinity” deepen this divide, making it critical to promote healthier, more cooperative gender relations for future generations.

Conference Goals & Objectives

We hope that this conference will do the following:
 
  1. Help parents and educators understand the challenges facing teenage and young adult males today.
  2. Provide practical tools to support boys’ emotional growth and healthy gender relationships.
  3. Provide a safe space for facilitated discussions on gender issues to reduce polarization and build empathy.
  4. Bring together adults who are committed to supporting young people and to addressing these challenges collaboratively.

Conference Speakers

JUDY Y. CHU, EDD

Dr. Chu is an educator, researcher, and author. Her book, When Boys Become Boys, and the course she teaches at Stanford University highlight boys’ relational strengths and how boys’ gender socialization can have an impact on their development, relationships, and well-being. Her work has been cited in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN Digital, Newsweek, and Time. She has served as chair of Movember’s Global Men’s Health Advisory Committee, co-chair of the board of directors at Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice, and member of the Professional Advisory Council for Boys Club of New York. She currently serves on the board of directors of Roots of Empathy and The Partnership for Male Youth, and on the advisory committee for the Foundation for Positive Masculinity.

RUTH WHIPPMAN

Ms. Whippman is an author, journalist, and cultural critic. A former BBC documentary producer and director, her writing appears regularly in The New York Times, amongst other places. She is the author of BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity.

BRENDAN KWIATKOWSKI-HARTMAN, PHD

Dr. Kwiatkowski-Hartman is a consultant, speaker, educator, and researcher specializing in the social-emotional development and well-being of boys and men. Holding a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Edinburgh and with over a decade experience as an educator, he is an adjunct professor at the University of the Fraser Valley. Primarily, he works as a consultant for schools and organizations, designing and delivering research-based action plans to better support and engage boys and men in the issues they are facing. Through his transformative workshops and talks, Dr. Kwiatkowski-Hartman empowers educators, parents, and students to foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and healthier gender dynamics. A sought-after speaker with a significant social media following, he is known for his engaging, informed, and empathetic approach to tackling complex societal issues. He resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his family.

CHARIS DENISON, MSOD / MHRM

Ms. Denison is a youth advocate and teacher / consultant. She has received national recognition for her work. She was profiled in Peggy Orenstein’s book, Girls and Sex, and quoted in her book, Boys and Sex. As the founder of Prajna Consulting, she partners nationally with schools, teens, families, and communities in addressing the subjects of human development, ethics, and social justice. Her work focuses on empowering young people to make choices that end in honor and joy rather than regret, guilt, or shame. She has been on the faculty of the Urban School of San Francisco, Branson, and Marin Academy.

ASHANTI BRANCH, MED

Mr. Branch is a recipient of the 2023 U.S. 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 nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the student dropout rate through youth mentorship. He is as well the creator of the award-winning #MillionMaskMovement, with 75,000 participants worldwide.

ANIELA COSTELLO, LHP

Ms. Costello is a classically trained Homeopath — a practice that addresses healing the emotional, psychological, mental, and physical parts of a person in order to create holistic health. She has offices in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, as well as an office in Manhattan, New York. Outside of her practice, Aniela works with teens, supporting older teens in mentoring younger teens, and empowering young people to explore their moral purpose and the ways they can provide service to their communities. Also dedicated to the empowerment of mothers, Aniela offers classes to enable families to apply homeopathic remedies for the health of their families. Aniela is the mother to five grown sons.

Conference Hosts

Mr. Rahlson joined Cathedral School for Boys in 2017 as a Grade 5 and 6 science teacher, and currently Lukas serves as Cathedral School’s Director of Upper School. He holds a B.A. in geology from Middlebury College and an M.Ed. in independent school leadership from Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining Cathedral School, Lukas taught middle school science at St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas, where he coached lacrosse and football, served as the director of the school’s wilderness program, and received the St. Mark’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Lukas is passionate about experiential and outdoor education and has deep experience working in boys’ education. When he isn’t working, Lukas can be found fly fishing and adventuring with his wife and young son.
Ms. Wong envisioned “Raising Connected Boys in a Disconnected World” as a way to bring parents and educators together to collaborate and build bridges around societal issues that have an impact on boys (and girls, as we are all interconnected). She holds a law degree from Loyola Law School and a master’s degree in public policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy. A former civil-rights attorney, Wendy worked as a policy analyst at the University of California Office of the President, focusing on factors influencing college completion rates for students of color. She also served on the board of Oakland Unity High School, supporting low-income students’ college acceptance. Wendy co-chaired SPEAK SF, a parent education coalition of K–8 schools in San Francisco and Marin, and co-founded SPIRE, a parent group for discussing identity and social justice issues, at Cathedral School for Boys. Wendy and her husband, Michael, have two sons: Jacob, an 8th grader at Cathedral, and Caleb, a CSB alumnus now an 11th grader at Lick Wilmerding High School.

Conference Schedule

 
THEME TIME EVENT PRESENTER(S)
The Current State of Affairs: What’s Going on in Society Around Boys and Men? 8:00–8:45am Registration, Coffee & Networking
8:50–9:05am Welcome & Introduction Lukas Rahlson & Wendy Wong
9:05–9:55am Challenges Faced by Boys and Men: The Impact on Male Relationships Judy Y. Chu & Lukas Rahlson
9:55–10:45am Transcending Gender Polarization: Resisting the Set-up Brendan Kwiatkowski-Hartman & Charis Denison
Coffee Break: 10:45–11:00am
The Relational Worlds of Teenagers 11:00–11:50am Conversation With Gen Z Males Charis Denison
11:50am–12:20pm Gen Z & Gen Alpha Boys: Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships Ruth Whippman & Ashanti Branch
Lunch: 12:20–1:35pm
Looking Inwards 1:35–2:35pm Men’s Leadership Session: Navigating Masculinity for Our Boys Ashanti Branch & Brendan Kwiatkowski-Hartman
Women’s Workshop: Recognizing the Capacity for Connection as a Human Strength Aniela Costello & Judy Y. Chu
Break: 2:35–2:50pm
Moving Onwards 2:50–3:50pm Expert Panel: A Range of Perspectives on Solutions All Speakers
3:50–4:00pm Closing Remarks & Calls to Action Lukas Rahlson & Wendy Wong

Resources

 
Podcasts and TED Talks by Conference Speakers:
 
 
Additional Resources:
 
 
Books:
 
 
Organizations:
 
 

Cathedral School for Boys

Located in San Francisco, California, Cathedral School for Boys is an independent elementary school for boys in Kindergarten – Grade 8. Our mission is to provide an excellent education through intellectual inquiry and rigor that is centered in the Episcopal tradition and is respectful of and welcoming to people of all religious traditions and beliefs.