Emotional and Social Fitness for Adolescent Males
Whether you have sons, daughters, or no kids at all, you will probably agree that the world needs better boys and men. For that to happen, teenage boys need skills, support, mentors, tools, exposure, encouragement, and guidance.
The goal of venz.xyz is to empower and educate adolescent boys/young adults (12-18 years old), using engaging content, curriculum, and resources. First step will be creating a web platform, focused on topics most applicable to middle school and high school boys, and have it appealing enough that parents won't need to nag too often.
Information, material, and lessons will delivered with short films, talks from experts and known entities (celebrities, musicians, etc.), videos, interactive presentations, and testimonials from other teens.
[Think: Khan Academy, SAT prep classes, TED Talks, and TikTok videos had a baby]
What are commonly the biggest motivators for teenage boys? Peers, food, competition, prizes, accomplishment, celebrities (and hormones, of course). We are trying to incorporate all we can to provide interest in going through different units, and mastering a variety of skills and material.
The long term goal is to award completion of - and movement through - the curriculum with special access to events (a guitar lesson with a known musician, a conversation with an actor or athlete, etc.) and entry into raffles for various prizes.
There will also be various online events, which will be recorded for future watching; a conversation with someone talking about what they’ve learned about self-care, or racism, or service, or compassion, or dating, etc.
The intent is to offer week-long summer programs, starting in 2022.
-Events on college campuses, or at summer camps, offering emotional and social fitness topics in the morning and evening, and different tracks of activities during the day (i.e. surfing, art, golf, videography, track and field, soccer, computer coding, basketball, music, cycling, etc.).
-Week-long service and immersion trips to to different regions and countries for exposure, empowerment, and learning.
Why the name "venz.xyz"?
-There will be online/virtual resources for teen males as they move toward manhood (virtual+men=ven)
-"Ven" at its root/origin means "vein", "to gather", "to come", or "to return". This initiative aims to keep pointing teens toward their best selves, and help them become the full version of who they are called to be
-The Venn diagram points to the importance of balance and integration, and there is much to integrate into an adolescent life
-The ".xyz" domain is a nod to the way we want men of Gen X and Y to provide guidance and mentorship to Gen Z
-Ven also means "friend" in Danish
Programming Support and Scholarships
Be Well Partners has joined with Ven.xyz and VenZ.xyz to allow individuals access to the material who might not otherwise be able to afford it, support in-person events for youth and young adults, and provide scholarships for summer camps and service trips for those needing financial help.
As well, donations to Be Well Partners are also tax-deductible.
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: Be Well Partners operates as a project of Players Philanthropy Fund, a Maryland charitable trust recognized by IRS as a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Federal Tax ID: 27- 6601178). Contributions to Be Well Partners are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.