BREAK the box Cut the schlock be a beauty
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Nicholas Fair Nowak
Founder & Owner
I am an experienced school/camp administrator, teacher, coach, writer, and speaker. I founded GoodMenders to break harmful stereotypes, foster moral leadership, and build better culture – no matter the arena. "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" (Nelson Mandela), and I am committed to supporting educational equity and making this work accessible to all.
Meet Nick
About GoodMenders
How did this start? We have been talking about "toxic masculinity" for a while now, and thanks to the efforts of so many, we have revealed the (not-so) invisible code that boxes in boys and tells them how to be a man. I think we need to break that box, for the benefit of humanity as a whole. Also, I share a responsibility to confront injustice and inequity in society. As a learner and teacher, I believe we can invest in a brighter future through quality education. That's why our profits support educational equity and also make GoodMenders accessible to all. Developing moral masculinity is where this all began, but the BCB mentality can be a tool for people to break other stereotypes, all of those isms that box us in and maintain systems of oppression. Read our mission below and explore the site and workshop offerings to see what we are all about. I hope you will join us in building better culture. -NFN
Check out our featured article in Camping Magazine to learn more about BCB
What does BCB mean?
Many of us have heard of the man box or the boy code. To realize the toxic state of masculinity, we need an awareness of the box. However, if we only acknowledge the existence of the box, we do little to disrupt the negative effects of gender stereotypes and power structures on our society, while continually telling young boys that society makes them bad. As a result, we can unintentionally shame them, put them on the defensive, and make them less likely to learn a different way. So, why don't we break the box and move on already?
Our Mission
Building better culture for educational equity
The GoodMenders mission is not a holy grail. We measure success based on the constant achievement of the following intentions:
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Foster moral masculinity and realize and sustain its critical mass
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Develop principled leaders who serve in positive ways
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Build cultures of empowerment, belonging, and respect
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Use profits to support educational equity in line with our mission and intentions