Founders of Latinitas, UT’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, AUTMHQ and leaders from Con Mi Madre and Mama Wears Pants Collaborate to Help Boys Using Creativity and Expression.
Masculinity is constantly being misrepresented. Social media amplifies distorted ideas about what is “strong” or “manly,” messages that are damaging boys’ self-esteem. Fifty nine percent of teen males report feeling self-conscious when talking about their bodies, with 79.3% reporting intermediate to severe dissatisfaction with muscle development. The pressure to conform to traditional gender roles combined with a lack of advice on coping, excluding old self-reliance tropes like “tough it out” is pushing boys towards increased self harm and isolation.
Using creativity, exposure to mentors and holistic discussions on identity and self, Street Genius 2 Day Mini Summer Camp will take place at July 23-24, 10am-5:30pm, Austin PBS (6101 Highland Campus Dr Bldg 3000, LL, Austin, TX 78752) in the Silicon Labs community space. This free event is open to all boys ages 10-15. Tickets available online.
Street Genius’ Mini 2-Day Summer Camp builds off its last two events on design thinking and music video production with new lessons and career presentations in social justice relief printing with illustrator Brock Caron, fashion styling and design with StitchLab ATX founder Eric Lugo (@ericlugo) and how to become a stunt man with award winning producer Hector Gonzales.
Designed and led by the collective tenure of over 100 years of people empowerment, is the
Street Genius team.
- Ruben Cantu, (founder, LMNT’s and former director of UT’s Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation),
- Michael Ward Jr., founder, Austin’s Urban Technology Movement (AUTMHQ),
- Laura Donnelly, (founder and former CEO, Latinitas)
- Johanna Moya Fabregas (Executive Director, Con MI Madre) are putting data, best practices and compassion towards helping boys.
- Melissa Sustaita Acosta, owner Mama Wears Pants, wellness network
“We started Street Genius to put our long time experience working with college students, professionals and girls and all those best practices towards boys.” said Ruben Cantu, founder of LMNTs entrepreneurship incubator. “Our groups have historically focused on lesser represented communities and we do put some extra emphasis on the needs and challenges Black and Latino boys who are up against everything else other boys are, but also another systemic layer facing bias at a very young age, getting disproportionately disciplined in school and over-policed on even the most banal of things, such as hairstyle.”
Michael Ward, Jr. founder of Austin Urban Technology Movement explained, “AUTMHQ has cultivated a pipeline of support for Black and Brown men to engage in the city’s most flourishing and lucrative industries: technology and manufacturing. Street Genius is about creating a space to connect that network through mentoring and career exposure to the boys and teens coming up behind them.”
“Boys need us now.” explained Ruben Cantu, “Boys are grappling with defining masculinity for themselves and as much as we inform them that they are ok as they are – they are bombarded with long existing toxic messages about their worth.”
For more info or to schedule an interview with any of the collaborators, instructors or Street Genius alumni contact Laura Donnelly at 512.809.4618 or via email: laura@radicalconsultant.com
Volunteers welcome/no experience necessary.
About Street Genius – With a focus on design thinking, entrepreneurship and the arts – Street Genius was formed by the collaboration of empowerment nonprofits to deliver no cost engaging workshops for boys and boy identifying students ages 10-15
