For thousands of years, men have gathered to guide boys into adulthood. These Rites of Passage experiences help youth cross the threshold from childhood to adulthood with intention. But today, these ceremonies of maturity are often lost—leaving boys to "self-initiate" through risky behaviors or drift into isolation and despair. Our boys aren’t toxic—they’re simply untethered. No compass. No elders. No ceremony to mark their transformation towards responsibility and interdependence.
Journeymen offers a different path.
Boys Are Struggling. Rites of Passage Offer a Way Through.
Our boys are crying out for connection, purpose, and challenge. And when they don’t find it, they drift—toward disconnection, anxiety, or to online influencers that can exploit their pain. Research shows that boys today are more likely to fall behind in school, struggle with relationships, and feel isolated or aimless. What we’re missing are intentional rituals of belonging and becoming.
Rites of passage are one of humanity’s oldest answers to this kind of crisis. They offer boys a sacred container for change—a community that challenges and supports them to step into maturity, face their pain directly, and claim a deeper purpose.
The Rites of Passage Adventure Weekend (ROPAW)
ROPAW is a nature-based, phone-free weekend experience where boys are guided through a process of reflection, challenge, and transformation. With the support of trained mentors and peers, boys:
Confront limiting beliefs and emotional wounds
Explore their identity, values, and purpose
Build emotional literacy and accountability
Experience meaningful connection to self, others, and the natural world
This is not about proving their worth — it’s about discovering it.
Rites of Passage as a Hero's Journey
Every young man holds a fire inside—a longing to know who he is, what he’s capable of, and where he belongs. Our Rites of Passage Adventure Weekend (ROPAW) follows the time-honored arc of the Hero’s Journey to help him answer those questions and step boldly into manhood.
At Journeymen, we believe that every boy deserves this kind of journey—a chance to be seen, challenged, celebrated, and returned with new eyes and a new name. Because when a young man knows who he is, the whole community is stronger for it.
1
Call to Adventure
The journey begins with a choice. “Are you ready to enter the world of men?” Mentors invite the participants to step into something deeper—a challenge, a mystery, a path toward becoming. Leaving the routines of daily life behind, participants enter the wild, where they’re invited to take off the performative mask, speak the truth, and ask: “What kind of man do I want to become?”
2
The Ordeal
Through emotional processes, wilderness challenges, and guided reflection, each boy faces what must be let go—and what is ready to emerge. He meets his fear, anger, grief, and potential with the support of the community. He learns to embody his emotions, discard limiting stories, and trust others. These trials are designed not to shame or break him, but to awaken the inner resources already alive within him and to inspire courage, empathy, integrity, and vision.
3
The Return
Young men are welcomed home with ceremony and celebration. Surrounded by family and community, he shares what he’s stepping into, what he’s leaving behind, and the man he is choosing to become. Parents, mentors, and loved ones gather to witness and honor the transformation that has taken place. It is not just recognition—it’s reintegration.
ROPAW Reflections
"Life seems so much more clear. I have a goal now and I feel far more alive than I ever have before."
"They didn’t try to fix me. They just saw me. And I’ll never forget that."
"I realized I don’t have to do it all alone. I have people I can count on now."
Is Your Son Ready?
ROPAW is for boys aged 13–17 who are ready to take a deeper look at who they are and who they want to become. Whether your son is thriving or struggling, this weekend meets him where he is—and helps him take the next step into responsible young manhood, with confidence and community support.
Join Our Next Weekend
Join us for the September 26-28 ROPAW. The registration deadline is 9/18/25. Please select the registration type:
Participants: Young men will arrive onsite at 5:00p on Friday, Sept 26th with their parents/guardians for our opening ceremony. If you have a young man you would like to sign up, please register below. Tuition is $500, with scholarship assistance available based on need. We will cap the weekend at 20 participants, enrolling on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Mentors: This work only happens if healthy male mentors step up! Men will arrive on-site on Thursday, Sept 25th, at 4:00p to begin preparations for the weekend. We ask our mentors to contribute a $150 staffing fee to offset basic food and housing costs. However, if the cost is a significant deterrent, please reach out on an individual basis and we will find a way to work with you.
Jmen: Each weekend, we select 10 Jmen, current Journeymen in our program to attend as young mentors-in-training, helping the next generation take their first steps towards developing healthy masculinity. Jmen will arrive on-site with the mentors at 4:00p on Thursday, Sept 25th to begin preparations for the weekend. We ask Jmen and their families to contribute a $150 staffing fee to offset basic food and housing costs. If the cost is a significant deterrent, please reach out to us.
Our weekend will be held at Camp Royall in Moncure, NC (about 30 minutes away from Raleigh & Durham)
Register below to save your spot as a participant, mentor, or Jman on our upcoming weekend.
