WELCOME TO WISEGUYZ
Hello A.E. Cross Staff, Parents, and Students!
I’m happy to formerly introduce myself and invite you to check out the WiseGuyz program at your
school. My name is Tristan Abbott and I have been facilitating WiseGuyz, an in school program for grade
nine boys, for the past three years. I am very excited to be offering the program for a third year here at
A.E. Cross! The support we’ve received from our three core schools has allowed us to expand to three
more this year.
All parents/guardians of grade nine boys will receive an information and consent package in the coming
weeks. The program is open to all grade nine guys, although limited spots are available. Check out the
information sheet or our website and consider signing your son up for WiseGuyz this year!
Please read the information below for more information about the WiseGuyz Program.
Tristan Abbott
WiseGuyz Facilitator
www.wiseguyz.ca
What is WiseGuyz?
WiseGuyz is a strength-based, comprehensive, positive relationship program offered for grade 9 boys at your son’s
school. The program has been running in Calgary since 2010 and is currently offered at G.P. Vanier, Sherwood and
A.E. Cross Jr. High Schools, with expansion to three new schools in the fall of 2014.
WiseGuyz is an innovative program designed and run by the Calgary Sexual Health Centre, a not-for-profit
organization that has been serving Calgary through education, training and supports for more than 40 years. The
WiseGuyz program has been featured in the Globe and Mail, Avenue Magazine, The Walrus, and on Global, CBC,
and CTV.
The WiseGuyz Story
A few years ago, the Calgary Sexual Health Centre began to see a critical need in the community. Through
research, focus groups, and a review of current programs covering social, emotional, sexual and relational health,
we discovered a need for a program designed specifically for young men.
We recognized that most sexual health services were targeted at girls, and that while teen pregnancy rates
had dramatically dropped, STI rates continued to rise. We saw alarming trends around the cultural and media
messages young boys were receiving about what it means to be a man. We continued to see bullying and
homophobia occurring in schools. What was society teaching our young men and how could we change the
conversation? As a result, WiseGuyz was born.
Our Research – What We’re Learning
Research is a part of WiseGuyz to help us continue
to learn and improve the program.
In 2012/2013:
85% of the boys in WiseGuyz indicated an
increased feeling of comfort in being able to
talk with a health care professional about their
sexual health.
82% of the boys indicated that they have
increased their knowledge of how their
values and beliefs impact their decisions about
relationships.
“Boys that wouldn’t necessarily have had a
strong social footing, had a better one by the
end of the year and had more confidence and
had more peers and that they felt like they had
a group of people to rely on.”
– School Administrator
“Sometimes it feels like adults think teenage
guys are nothing but trouble… It’s just easier
to talk to Blake, Stafford and Tristan…”
– The Walrus
What Happens in WiseGuyz?
We provide targeted education, skill development and support around many of the issues young men face and
give them tools to engage in healthy relationships. We place significant attention on creating a ‘safe space’ and
building rapport among participants prior to offering the standardized curriculum. The WiseGuyz curriculum is
comprised of four modules, and runs one day a week during school time from October to May.
Module 3:
Gender
Participants learn the differences between sex
and gender and are encouraged to critically
examine representations of gender in the media,
stereotypes, and pressures of being a guy.
Module 4:
Healthy Relationships
Module 1:
Human Rights
Participants discuss the basic rights of every human
being and how to respect the differing values,
perspectives, and lived experiences of others.
Module 2:
Sexual Health
Participants will become more aware of their
own sexuality, the changes during puberty and
associated pressures. They will receive sexual
health information, so that they can identify
supports and make healthy choices for themselves,
related to their sexuality.
This module examines the difference between
healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationships.
Participants learn about personal boundaries,
consent, coping skills, and effective ways to express
emotion and resolve conflict.
While there are short-term goals of
encouraging healthy choices and better
relationships, we know that long term this
program has the potential to decrease
bullying, homophobia and even domestic
violence. WiseGuyz become informed
bystanders that can have a positive impact
on the world around them.
School Comments
“It’s a laid back class, but it teaches you a lot,” such as “how to keep a manly life but also be responsible and respectful,” and “how you can make a relationship better at a young age. It makes you think
about how you are. It makes you look in the mirror. It just gets you thinking.” – Past Participant
“What these boys learn has an impact on the whole school. They become role models.”
– Principle Martin Poirier
WiseGuyz is a program of Calgary Sexual Health Centre
www.calgarysexualhealth.ca phone: 403.283.5580 #304, 301 - 14 St. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 2A1