THE GOALS OF THE ROCK AND WATER PROGRAM

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The Rock and Water program aims to help students ) in their development to adulthood and to become fine, authentic men ("self-realisation") who are conscious of their own power and responsibility within society, and the tasks involved to achieve that.

Self-realisation is only possible with the right amount of self-confidence. From this beginning, real trust in oneself develops into the trust to dare and listen to one's feelings, intuition and the inner voice that gives direction and guidance on one's path through life. That is why the accent in this Rock and Water Program is put on the development of self-confidence, self-knowledge and self-respect, boundary awareness, self-awareness and intuition.

Self-realisation goes together with the development of morality. The awareness that people are connected and form an organic whole logically implies a growing respect for people with different lives and of another opinion. It is the basis for insight and tolerance, and that is why it is the starting point of this course. That is also why discussions about standards and values form an important part of the group discussions.

A specific goal is to teach the boys to deal with power, strength and powerlessness. Boys can be perpetrators of violence, but they can also be victims. That is why, on the one hand, they are taught to defend themselves from various forms of violence, and on the other hand they are taught to grow more aware of boundaries and crossing them.

Rock and Water and Girls

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Rock and Water was developed as a gender specific program, especially meant for boys. However, experience has taught us that girls can profit from and enjoy the program as much as boys do. Boys and girls (in general) clearly differ at a number of levels and also undergo a different socialisation. That is why they meet different tasks of development and that is why they sometimes need different educational support. It is therefore advisable to teach the program in gender specific groups with a specific educational focus. However, it is still advisable to bring them together now and then. Despite the gender differences, boys and girls have to learn to play, to work and to live together.