How might we model vulnerability, curiosity, and kindness for junior high-aged boys knowing males bond through outdoor and physical activity?
Man Camp for Boys was a one-day event held on June 12, 2019 by the Project Good group, Better[MEN]t, which was formed by a One Stone student leader who was inspired by Project Good’s female empowerment group, Empow[HER}.
The Better[MEN]t team’s goal was to help middle school boys become better men through outdoor and physical activities. Man Camp for Boys was the culmination of a 9-month project where a group of high school-aged young men and adult coaches took a group of eleven 6-9th graders up to Bogus Basin for a half day of survival skills, wilderness first aid, outdoor games, team building, cooking meat over a campfire, and self-reflection.
The event was driven by the team’s guiding question, “How might we model vulnerability, curiosity, and kindness for junior high aged boys knowing males bond through outdoor and physical activity?”
The Man Camp for Boys idea was developed after months of exploring issues like toxic masculinity, the #metoo movement, as well as high rates of depression and suicide among young men. The Better[MEN]t team traced these topics back to middle school, when young boys tend to lose a sense of identity, passion, and purpose.
Eleven boys from diverse schools, grades, and backgrounds engaged in the free experience. It was led by 10 high school guides through a series of games and activities including Capture the Flag, hikes and conversations, a wilderness first aid training scenario, and One Minute Life Stories.
“It was fun to get away, get outside, and meet new people,” said one of the participants. “I liked that the survival activity on top of Shafer Butte was led by a high school student who was a certified wilderness first responder. That’s something I didn’t know existed for high school students and something I might want to do when I get older.”
Before they came up with the idea for Man Camp for Boys, the Better[MEN]t team designed an empathy experience where a small group of sixth grade boys were paired with high school mentors who taught them to weld or use the laser etcher.
“It was an opportunity for the team to have conversations with the boys while physically making something,” explained Better[MEN]t coach Michael Reagan. “The younger boys were having fun learning to use cool tools and technology in the Foundry, while our team was learning about their male role models, perceptions of masculinity and gender roles, as well as their personal interests and curiosities.”
Through this empathy experience, personal reflections, and other research, the team identified that middle school is a critical time of life when many boys feel forced to reduce or abandon a number of passions like music or sports. The loss of other “childish” games and time to play outside results in a loss of imagination, creativity, and vulnerability. This loss of identity can contribute to depression, anxiety, bullying, inauthentic relationships, and a series of poor social decisions.
This led to the team’s insight that the most important thing that younger boys need is to see older boys and men modeling positive behavior.
“Initially, during our implementation, I wasn't sure how much of an impact our project was going to have on these kids,” reflected Jadon C., one of the members of the Better[MEN]t team. “After working with them for a few minutes, it became clear that they were really taking what we were saying to heart. I had forgotten how it felt to be a younger kid spending time with high school kids. It felt like we had taken on a mentor role just in the short time we spent with them.”
One Stone’s Project Good provided free food and transportation for the participants to and from Bogus Basin.
