Journey to Manhood
Our Levels System: “Journey to Manhood”
Leveled Achievement and Ranking System
Overview of Student Levels
Your student will earn privileges and gain new responsibilities by working through a series of benchmarks of behavior and accomplishment. This is an expression of Milieu Therapy. Your student will earn a new shirt each time they demonstrate their ability to accept a new level of challenge.
Orange Shirt
Orientation
Learning Objectives:
- Learn to bring the hands, mouth and their eyes under control.
- Learn rhythms, structure and the first 10 principles (counsel cards).
This is the initial orientation phase, boys learn the ropes at Master’s Ranch Christian Academy. Each boy is matched, based on his personality type, with a buddy who teaches him what he needs to know and helps him stay out of trouble. During this phase, boys begin physical training to get in shape, they are assigned Bible verses and tidbits of wisdom to memorize (we call them our counsel cards), and they begin learning to submit to authority. Once they demonstrate some improvement in physical fitness and show cooperation by mastering the memory work, they move to the next phase. The orientation phase typically lasts about a month but is dependent on the cooperation of each individual boy.
Yellow Shirt
Trust
- Learn to respond positively to instructions or redirection in an immediately, respectful and humble manner.
- Learn the value of the first 25 Counsel Cards and demonstrate initiation to apply them in order to live a principled life.
A boy in Yellow Phase earns more freedom of movement and communication around the campus. In this phase, boys receive a new set of memory work to master. They take a diagnostic test for academics and begin school, which is presented as a privilege that they have earned. The Yellow phase is about obedience. The boys begin vocational class once a week and get to join field crews twice a week. At Master’s Ranch, boys are given lots of chances to succeed, Boys begin to acknowledge their negative behavior and the impact it has had on those around them. Once they are willing to articulate, in the form of a written essay, how their negative behavior has adversely affected their friends and family, they move on to the next shirt. During this phase an Personal Focused Care Plan is created for each student reflecting their individual needs. This phase is usually two to three months depending on the cooperation of the student.
Green Shirt
Manhood
Learning Objectives:
- Learn to be trusted
- Learn to be utilize their conscience.
- Learn to value and work within a ranking system (honoring those above you and rank as well as those below you in rank – serving both)
In the Green Phase boys have earned additional freedoms of movement and conversation around campus. They are given opportunity to be on field crews that require higher skill and self-control. They have new goals for memory work and physical fitness improvement. The Green shirt is the level of the general population at the ranch. It is longest level and last at least 6 months.
It is during the Green Shirt phase that boys make a marked improvement in their attitude, work ethic, and behavior. For many of the boys coming in, no one in their lives trusts them, including themselves. They begin to earn the trust of staff and peers. The Master’s Ranch Christian Academy’s emphasis is on true manhood, shown by integrity, honesty, hard work, hard play, trust, and leadership. There is no competition against anyone else; boys compete only against themselves. Boys in the Green Shirt accept work responsibilities on campus; they learn vocational and agricultural skills through voluntary extra work projects; they make progress academically toward a high school diploma or GED; they become physically fit, strong and active; and they experience personal transformation as the lessons of manhood and the love of God sink in.
Burgundy Shirt
Leadership
Learning Objectives:
- Learn to be an example and lead when called upon.
- Learn to stand their own ground with peers.
- Learn to hold their peer group accountable to a principled life.
Earning the Burgundy Shirt is an honor to achieve. It reflects a tremendous transformation in behavior, attitude, and values. With the approval of the entire staff, boys can promote the Burgundy Shirt. This promotion is required to graduate. Boys gain a great deal of additional freedom, including significantly more phone time with their parents and burgundy only activities. Rewards come with achievement. They start exercising peer leadership and enjoy a certain amount of authority. Boys study leadership books by renowned authors. They are treated like men.
Field Crew Education
One of our pillars is boys working alongside men. When this becomes a successful experience boys have a stronger sense of themselves (self-esteem), greater awareness of their ability to impact the world in a positive way (self-efficacy), a growing ability to turn their strength to productivity (self-control), and an experience of reward by adding to something to the world rather than consuming something (productivity, work-ethic and accomplishment).
Field Crews complete projects on the ranch, in our facilities, and in the community. Whether we are staking hay, repair a well system, putting up a wall, or repairing our equipment in shop boys are exposed to trades that eventually could be well paying jobs. Boys develop problem solving skills, organizing skills, and safety skills. They learn to honor every workman for an honest day’s work rather than just the type of employment.
Field education is hands-on, real-life work that makes a difference in the daily life of the animals on the ranch, people on the ranch, and people in our community. Boys can receive up to 2 full credits for field education. You can see a report and pictures of each month’s field crew work in our monthly newsletter.
Vocational Training
Once a week each boy works in a vocational training lab that introduces a core set of vocational skills. We utilize the Ohio State Tailgate Skill and Safety curriculum. When a boy is able to complete all of the skills below, he receives one full credit in Vocational Training.
- Brick Masonry
- Carpentry
- Concrete
- Auto Mechanic
- Electrician
- Plumbing
- Computer Basics
- Culinary Arts
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry
High ranking boys may apply for advanced training in welding in our welding shop.
Career Emphasis Week
Three times a year we emphasize career development. We equally value vocational tradesmen as careers that require college. Each Career Emphasis Week includes progressing through “The Way Out”, a curriculum designed to identify purpose, identify obstacles, and set goals. The students working on a graduation plan will complete a battery of career development assessment tools. Every student will have a chance in their last three months to utilize this service. The afternoons during this week include one-on-one review of these results and career counseling.