Paul Cumbo and Michael Gurian have worked together on various projects for the last eight years.  The Camino Institute, featured in today’s video blog, is one of the programs mentioned in Michael’s new book, Boys, A Rescue Plan, written with Sean Kullman.

Paul’s program is part of the growing movement discussed in the book to address the needs of boys and young men.  While helping boys become healthy men is good for boys, humanity also focuses on it for the sake of healthy families and communities.  Now here’s Paul on his program.

Here is more from Paul about the Institute:

Camino Institute

Location: Based in the United States, Operates in the Dominican Republic

Website: https://www.caminoinstitute.com

The Camino Institute was co-founded by Paul Cumbo and Adam Baber, two teachers with extensive backgrounds in Jesuit education. While not formally religiously affiliated, Camino is inspired by elements of Ignatian (Jesuit) spirituality. The organization offers immersive, service-oriented international retreats and seminars based at its beautiful hilltop campus nestled in a close-knit rural village in the central mountains of the Dominican Republic. Camino programs can be customized for families, friends, high schools, universities, youth organizations, churches, or company retreats—but its Young Men’s International Seminar (YMS) has been among its most successful offerings.

Like all Camino programs, the YMS is built upon four central themes: Travel with Purpose, Disconnect to Reconnect, Focus on What Matters, and Be of Service. It is tailored specifically for all-male cohorts of no more than twelve participants ranging from age eighteen through late twenties, with a curriculum that invites men to a pilgrimage of the mind, body, heart, and spirit. Early mornings begin with guided meditation and shared intentions. Days are centered around purposeful manual labor in support of service projects that benefit local families and communities. Evenings focus on compelling shared readings, reflection, and honest conversation about discerning authentic desires, clarifying aims, building relationships, and wrestling with personal challenges. These 8-day programs also include adventurous exploration of the Caribbean island’s tropical forests, mountains, and beaches.

Camino Institute seminars are not therapy services—its staff comprises professional educators and experienced mentors, not therapists or counselors. Nonetheless, because the programs are built upon a structure of transparency around challenging, meaningful questions, they create an environment of trust and vulnerability that many young men indeed find helpful. Participants should be in good health, able to take on the rigors of simple living in rural regions with minimal development and limited infrastructure. The Camino campus is designed to be comfortable, but prioritizes simplicity and is therefore not luxurious. There is electricity and running water, for example, but not hot water. Participants find it an ideal environment for a digital detox.

Whether for a recent high school graduate seeking a meaningful pause before heading to college, a bachelor discerning his career path, or a professional on the cusp of his thirties about to embark on the adventure of married life, the Camino Institute’s Young Men’s Seminar offers a transformative journey of personal growth, powerful bonding, deepening spirituality, and service to others in need.

To learn more about Paul and this program, visit https://paulcumbo.substack.com/p/camino-institute-why-a-young-mens

To purchase Boys, A Rescue Plan, visit AMAZON LINK or wherever you acquire books