Sept. 18, 2026.
Virginia General Assembly
Real solutions from people doing the work
A one-day conference for the practitioners, educators, leaders, mentors and advocates advancing boys and men. Focused on what is working and how to do more of it.
President, American Institute for Boys and Men
Author of Of Boys and Men and the leading voice on the policy case for boys and men.
Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, D-88
Supporter of the Virginia Advisory Commission for Men and Boys
Virginia House of Delegates, D-21
Chief patron of HB1188, the bill that created the nation’s first commission for boys and men.
Founder: The X for Boys
An Albany, Ga. based organization with millions of social media followers, The X for Boys “teaches boys the true meaning of manhood, true masculinity, how to be a team player and collaborate with others, and how to be protectors and providers for their communities.”
President, Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men
Emma Johnson, author of The 50/50 Solution: The Surprisingly Simple Choice that Makes Moms, Dads, and Kids Happier and Healthier after a Split, is a longtime advocate for gender equality. She has appeared in hundreds of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Newsweek, and Fox News, and has spoken at the United Nations, Google and before legislative bodies in the U.S. and Europe.
President, Male Educator Network and Policy Institute
Curtis Valentine is president of Male Educator Network and Policy Institute and a leading researcher and policy advocate for growing the teacher workforce for men.
CEO, Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia
Chris Beach, the father of four sons, has grown the Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia to the largest fatherhood program in the United States that is not government funded. New Dad 101 is the foundation’s proprietary program that partners with all of the Commonwealth’s major health systems to offer free fatherhood training to parents of newborns.
Educator, professor, father-engagement expert
Author of The Dad Difference: How and Why to Invite Fathers Into Your School, Higdon has for her more than 30 years as an educator prioritized father-school engagement, pioneering the practice of phone fathers first.
Founder, Choros
Choros uses tech to build sustainable male friendships through small groups, shared activities and repeat hangs while using data to understand how men connect.
Vice president of Human Resources, Newport News Shipbuilding
Vice chair of the Virginia Board of Workforce Development and oversees Newport News Shipbuilding’s Apprentice School, one of the most comprehensive and competitive higher education programs in the United States.
Movember Global Lead, Masculinities Research
Movember is a leading international organization addressing men’s mental and physical health through research, public education and policy. Brian Heilman’s recent publications include The Real Face of Men’s Health (2025).
Former Speaker of the Florida House
Endowed Professor of Social Work, George Mason University, expert on male victims of domestic violence
Executive for Scouting, Chesapeake and Portsmouth
Jon grew his region’s Scoutreach program to 200 youth in less than two years.
CEO, The League for Safer Streets
A returning citizen, Taylor’s League for Safer Streets each week brings together 200 young men and their families living in high-crime communities for basketball, personal development and advocacy, in collaboration with Richmond Police Department.
Alameda County Father's Corps
Since 2013, Alameda County Fathers Corps has partnered with the county’s health clinic, social services agency, probation department and child support services to ensure those agencies offer father-friendly services.
Founder, Good Father Project
Travis Hellstrom is a husband, father and founder of the Good Father Project, which honors fathers and father-figures through essays written by their children – launched during his Peace Corps service in Mongolia and brought home to Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Executive Director, Journeymen Triangle
Journeymen Triangle, based in North Carolina, facilitates nature-based rites of passage experiences and intergenerational group mentoring circles in the community and directly in schools.
Founder, everydayHEROS
Brandon is a Virginia 811 public relations liaison in Eastern/Central Virginia and everydayHEROS connects utility contractors, excavators, and locators with young men grades 8-12 to advance them on a path from apprenticeships to full employment after high school.
Dominion Energy, VP Nuclear Engineering
James’s organization is responsible for all facets of engineering support of the Dominion Energy fleet of seven operating reactors.
Founder, A Man for All Seasons
David is a longtime science and robotics educator at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond where he also serves as research director for the school’s Center for the Study of Boys.
UVA Health, Chief External Affairs Officer
Jennifer has more than 30 years of leadership and public policy experience, and also serves as Virginia Chamber’s Board of Directors.
Capital One, Supplier Development and Opportunity Team
Allison is program lead for the Capital One Envision Summit and serves on boards for Virginia Ability and FAITH RXD.
Founder, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Fatherhood Initiative
Chuck has a long history as a social services leader. He currently serves as Fatherhood Engagement/Kinship Navigator for Harrisonburg Rockingham Social Services in addition to the regions Fatherhood Initiative.
University of Richmond Director, Foundation and Corporate Relations
Richmond Community Foundation, Director, Inclusive Philanthropy
We are confirming a bipartisan lineup of practitioners and leaders.
Get notified →The educators, program leaders, social workers, clinicians, coaches, mentors, educators, mothers, fathers and others who have been advancing boys and men for years. The Virginia Blueprint brings them together to share what works and leave with a plan and a new community.
Three numbers Virginia can act on.
in the nation for the fourth-grade reading gap
The widest gap between girls' and boys' reading scores of any state. 2024, NAEP grade 4.
NAEP 2024, NCESof U.S. undergraduates are men
A shrinking share of higher education nationwide. 2021, national.
AIBM, Degrees of Differenceof Virginia suicide deaths were men
In 2022, 1,211 Virginians died by suicide. Help is available 24/7 at 988.
Virginia DBHDS, 2025Behind every number, Virginians are already responding. The Virginia Blueprint Summit gathers them. See the full data
One track, one room, one purpose. A full schedule with session titles and times is coming soon.
Morning
Doors, welcome, and the opening keynote
Setting the frame: where Virginia leads, and why it matters now.
Midday
Working sessions
Education, fatherhood, health, and workforce, led by the people doing the work.
Afternoon
Solutions showcase
Programs that work, and how to bring them home to your community.
Close
Commitments and next steps
Leave with a plan, not just notes.
Written into Virginia state code and independent of any governor, the Virginia Advisory Commission for Men and Boys is the first such legislatively created, permanent U.S. body serving men and boys.
This landmark legislation passed with bipartisan margins and was signed by Governor Spanberger in 2026. The first legislative report is due October 2026.
House · HB1188
91–6
passed the House of Delegates
Senate · SB447
36–0
passed the Senate
A nonpartisan, statewide network of organizations and leaders, committed to a goal that men and boys’ unique qualities are recognized and their struggles are supported, for the benefit of all.
Nearly 50 studies on how boys learn and grow, led by Dr. Kimberly Hudson.
An early childhood education center building a pipeline of male ECE teachers.
$1,000 grants and year-round support to bring fathers into K-12 schools.
Put us out of business. Make father engagement and school presence normal and boring.
Emma Johnson, Dads at School
Virginia made history, and we’re just getting started. Last week’s first meeting of the Virginia Advisory Commission for Boys and Men was a huge…
On Monday, Virginia took another historic step for boys and men. The Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission held its first meeting…
The landmark Virginia Advisory Commission for Men and Boys and the Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men are hosting this incredible event: The…
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