About this Event
Summit Community Services Society is excited to announce that we are hosting a FREE one-day conference called Let's Talk Masculinity, taking place on November 30th, 2026 at the Kimberley Conference Centre. Lunch will be provided.
This conference will begin with a welcome address from Ktunaxa Citizen, Joe Pierre, feature 4 workshops, of which you can choose 2, and end with a keynote speech from an organization called Next Gen Men, which aims to challenge the way colonial culture thinks about masculinity as a means of improving the well-being of boys and men and preventing harm.
Next Gen Men is a small-but-mighty Canadian nonprofit whose work is dedicated to one ambitious thing—to build a positive vision of masculinity for the next generation. They bring together perspectives from across North America, across genders, and across backgrounds to talk about why we all have a stake in the future of masculinity. Next Gen Men are champions of hope, and workers for change. We are thrilled to be partnering with Next Gen Men to bring you this culture shifting opportunity!
ALL Genders Welcome!
*Please note that the keynote is part of the larger conference and a conference ticket automatically includes the keynote.
*Keynote only tickets are for members of the public who will not be attending the full-day conference.
Morning Workshop Options (select 1):
How to Promote Positive Masculinity (intended for service providers who work with boys & young men): This session equips participants with practical strategies to support boys’ healthy development by understanding the unique pressures they face. Moving beyond polarizing language, we explore the concept of ‘precarious’ masculinity and provide educators with a research-backed framework for fostering positive masculinity. Participants will learn actionable techniques to help masculine-identifying youth become their best selves, while creating more inclusive environments where all students can thrive.
How to Promote Psychological Safety (intended for leaders who work in male-dominated workplaces or industries): Psychological safety isn't just a buzzword—it's as vital as hard hats and steel-toed boots (or cybersecurity and fire exits for the office folks). This session shows how men shape—and are shaped by—workplace culture, and why psychological safety pays off for everyone involved: healthier people, higher-performing teams, less turnover, safer sites, more innovative solutions, better relationships. We meet people where they are, build on what's already working, and give leaders and service providers the tools to spread that safety, not just build it for themselves
Afternoon Workshop Options (select 1):
How to Talk About Andrew Tate (intended for service providers who work with boys & young men):This session deepens participants’ understanding of what draws boys and young men towards anti-feminist influencers online, and outlines an affirming, strengths-based approach to transformative conversations. Participants will define the characteristics and potential harms within the online culture in which masculine- identifying youth find themselves, explore the core needs drawing boys into those spheres of influence, and practice how to engage them as shared stakeholders in their own positive development.
Decoding Resistance (intended for leaders who work in male-dominated workplaces or industries):If you're driving change on teams or supporting an individual to change their behaviour or situation, you'll face resistance—it's a feature, not a bug. This session helps you get to the root of pushback, from 'I don't have time' to 'this isn't our problem.' Through real scenarios, you'll learn how to keep conversations moving and respond effectively when commitment wavers
Keynote: Jake Stika, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Gen Men, will deliver his keynote address, called Beyond Male Allies, which invites listeners to step back from individual behaviours and see the bigger picture – the inherited stories and unspoken rules that shape how men move through the world, and what it costs them to live inside those scripts. The workshops will be geared towards service providers, coaches, teachers, and others who work with boys and men, and will be focused on promoting positive masculinity, supporting boy's and men's mental health, and supporting men to be allies in gender equity work and preventing gender-based violence.
Not a service provider or worker in a male-dominated industry? Get FREE tickets to the keynote address. which is open to the public, by selecting "keynote only" when prompted to select your ticket type. The keynote begins promptly at 2:30pm, please arrive early.
Event venue & nearby stays
Kimberley Conference & Athlete Training Centre, 301 North Star Boulevard, Kimberley, Canada
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