About Carl Wesley

Carl Wesley, M.Ed.

Carl Wesley is an educator, author, entrepreneur, and youth advocate committed to helping young people develop discipline, confidence, accountability, and a stronger sense of purpose.

His work is rooted in a simple belief: the right lesson, conversation, or mentor can change the direction of a young person’s life.

As an educator, Carl has worked closely with young people from a wide range of backgrounds. He has seen intelligence hidden behind humor, potential buried beneath insecurity, and pain expressed through anger or poor decisions. Those experiences inspired him to create The Standard: What Young Men Need Before the World Teaches Them Wrong.

Written as a mentor in book form, The Standard gives young men the guidance many are expected to learn only after making costly mistakes. It also provides parents, educators, coaches, counselors and mentors with a resource for starting honest and meaningful conversations.

Carl’s commitment to this mission is personal. Many of the young men he grew up with experienced incarceration. Some are still incarcerated, while others are no longer here. Their stories continue to remind him that talent and potential are not always enough. Young people also need direction, accountability, positive examples, and someone willing to challenge them before the world does.

Carl earned a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. His background also includes work in education, behavior support, youth development, fitness, fashion, art, and entrepreneurship. Each experience has strengthened his ability to connect with young people and communicate lessons in ways they can understand.

Through books, comic books, educational games, mentorship resources, and community partnerships, Carl is building The Standard into a larger leadership and mentorship movement designed to reach young people wherever they are.

Read The Standard with a young person, not at them. Let the conversation begin.