NOBLE WARRIOR TRAINING CAMP

The Original Concept and Program Content arranged by G. Bender, Copyright © 2000-2015, All Rights Reserved.

Mission Statement

This one year probationary program is offered as an alternative to incarceration for first time juvenile male offenders between the ages of 10 and 16. This multi-disciplinary educational program is structured around non-violence training, conflict de-escalation techniques, and safe ways to vent anger. It is intended to avoid the pitfalls of repeat offenders in the juvenile criminal system and thus requires all charges be dropped upon successful completion and graduation from the course. Throughout the year, at least 24 candidates will receive training in a variety of areas; all geared towards self-sufficiency, non-violence, honesty, honor, and respect for the community. This private organization will trade for essential goods and materials by working on local community “works & service” projects and thereby, build trust and respect within the community. A monthly follow up support program during the second year fosters smooth integration back into their home neighborhoods, or into new neighborhoods as they decide for themselves.

The core of the Noble Warrior Education Program is structured in three layers that are interwoven month to month in a related series of courses for the entire year.

    • Layer 1 deals with anger and aggression; with particular focus on safe and constructive ways to vent frustration, fear, anger, and other emotions associated with confusing, conflicting modern life values and broken families.  

    • Layer 2 teaches all the skills, math, and science necessary to actually build and maintain their own “one room studio house” from the ground up. A large desk and library space are key elements as studies accelerate throughout the year. Many other “hands-on” projects are planned that teach simultaneously as many vocational skills and principles of physics as possible.

    • Layer 3 practices a code of honor; the sense of being noble and generous. Each candidate will be encouraged to find the best qualities within himself and define his own way of helping the world around him while helping himself.

Drawing on the values and wisdom of established programs such as Boy Scouts, Outward Bound, Tai Chi, Gestalt, Native American Studies, and Co-Housing Communities, as well as some completely new Violence Abatement Techniques, this program seeks to challenge each candidate to grow beyond their personal anger into strong, noble young men of honor and integrity, and therefore, break the antagonistic cycle of criminalization and incarceration for the rest of their lives.

The following NWTC Curriculum describes the structure, nature and focus of this one year intensive program. Each Quarter has a theme, each Month has a core subject, and each Day of the Week is an activity category. While this program is not a substitute for formal education, these candidates will receive a well rounded knowledge base in a variety of inter-related subjects from tools and construction, to famous people and places, to law and paralegal research, to Tai Chi and acupressure, to sustainable gardening and herbal groups, to lessons in honor and integrity.

Most of all, this program practices several “safe and sane” ways to vent internal anger and frustration without rising to violence or fighting with each other. Once this internal angst is cleared, they can absorb and learn a great deal more in a shorter time by working in a cooperative, “hands-on” building environment.

In completing this unique program, they will not only learn several trade skills, they will also earn quality hand tools, learn to build a their own house, tend their own gardens, foster their own community, establish their new values, and develop their own sense of competence and group pride for what they can build together.

This unique program is dedicated to teaching nonviolent living, conflict de-escalation techniques, and safe ways of venting anger to our agitated and troubled youth before they start a career path in our growing correctional system. In addition, they will learn many vocational skills by building their own 8’x12’ one room studio house. Upon graduating, the Noble Warrior Candidates will be respected and valued workers in their community, having their own tools, pride, and sense of honor.

QUARTERLY THEMES (excerpt from the NWTC Curriculum)

Each yearly quarter has a theme and a content thread that is consistent with both the seasons and the natural progression of the program. This is a one-year program and it begins and ends at 12:00 noon, January 1^st. with the following New Year’s Eve Day being their Noble Warrior Graduation Ceremony.

First Quarter is about Tent Camping and Outdoor Survival
• living lightly on the Earth
• learning construction skills
• question needs verses wants
• Maslow’s pyramid
• basic outdoor survival skills
• design and start building a house

Second Quarter is about the Transition from Tent Living to House Living
• finishing house and moving in
• learning domestic skills
• question security verses shelter issues
• practice sharing and trust
• plant organic, sustainable gardens
• learn Tai Chi and grounding exercises

Third Quarter is about Building and Supporting their Group as a Community
• camp community projects
• learning advanced outdoor skills
• question societal verses cultural values
• learn neighborhood pride
• learn group defense

 Fourth Quarter is about Internal Wisdom
• meditation techniques
• learn holistic healing philosophies
• question yourself
• spirituality and beliefs
• building reality from within
• choosing a personal Noble Warrior’s Oath

This program draws on a variety of well known teachings, many old-time training precepts, and a variety of new ones. The Noble Warrior Camp has chosen a unique combination of these techniques to provide a powerful backdrop for helping angry youth transform themselves into proud young men, while learning self-sufficiency skills, cooperation and sharing.

Being recognized for achieving new skills and talents is commonly used to motivate people and quite valuable in the overall group building process. While merit badges and colored pins are nice, these items can’t really pay for themselves in the real world.

One of our main themes is Self Sufficiency. Our noble merit system teaches valuable home building skills at different levels and rewards everyone with their own quality hand tools needed to build their own one-room house.

       “Skills + Tools = Jobs + Value”

If you are interested in more information, please click here for a copy of the Noble Warrior Training Camp Course Curriculum for further reading. If you have any more questions, or would like to participate, please contact Future-Spark directly. Thank you.

NWTC