#504 Flowing with Ashanti Branch

Our guest this week on the special Bruce Lee Foundation edition of the Bruce Lee podcast is Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC), Ashanti Branch!

Ashanti is a key-note speaker, has been consulted by the US Surgeon General’s office on the youth mental health crisis, is a Fulbright Fellow and 4x Tedx Speaker. His work with youth has been featured at SXSW, on CNN with Lisa Ling, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and in the documentary about American masculinity 'The Mask You Live In', which premiered at Sundance Film Festival.

Ashanti Branch is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC), a non-profit organization that ensures underserved students graduate high school by addressing the underlying causes of dropout rates and youth violence, and providing grassroots solutions like mentorship, safe spaces and emotional tools.

Ashanti is a master in transforming schools into safer, more connected spaces through his workshops and products, is a pioneer in education reform and in youth mental health, with over 18 years experience.

Formerly a math teacher and raised in Oakland by a single mom on welfare (his father died just before he was born), Ashanti found his passion while tutoring struggling students in a school with a majority of African-American and Latino students. It broke his heart to see 40% of them want to drop out at such a young age. By fulfilling deeper emotional needs to feel safe, seen and heard, EFC has helped 100% of its student members graduate high school, 90% enroll in higher education, and 0% incarcerated (compared to the national incarceration rate of 8% for black males, age 20-24).

Notable projects include EFC’s Adventure Card Game which introduces youth to the world of their feelings, created by boiling down 18+ years of deep understanding working with thousands of youth. EFC’s #millionmaskmovement (Anthem Award recipient) provides a free, youth-friendly, hands-on emotional tool, with an online gallery of over 65,000 masks from around the world, searchable by age, so youth feel less alone.

EFC alumni are often the first to break generational patterns, and go on to make healthier leaders, parents, and partners. Although EFC is based in California, it has now impacted schools globally, with thousands of alumni stating, "I can truly say Ever Forward Club saved my life."

Ashanti’s work is crucial as we are now at an unprecedented inflection point with youth, with this being the first generation in history expected to live shorter lives than their parents. Youth mental health has been identified as being in a state of emergency by the US Surgeon General. Please help Ashanti get the word out that help is available.