Some moments
change everything
Rites of Passage Institute creates life-changing experiences for young Australians, their families, and their schools. Founded by Dr. Arne Rubinstein. Over 30 years. Over 200,000 lives.
Where young people find their fireplace.
Rites of Passage Institute creates life-changing experiences for young Australians, their families, and their schools. Founded by Dr. Arne Rubinstein. Over 30 years. Over 200,000 lives.
Years
of rites of passage experience
Lives
touched globally
Countries
reached
Parent satisfaction
report improved relationship with their child
There is a program
for where you are right now.
All camps are held at Yarrakoora, our purpose-built facility in the Byron Hinterland. Every program follows the same proven three-phase framework: Separation, Transition, and Return.
Making of Men
Dr. Arne Rubinstein · 2013
Built on 30 years of lived experience. Led by one of the world's foremost experts in adolescent development.
Dr. Arne Rubinstein was a practising medical doctor who kept seeing the same thing in his patients. Young people, particularly young men, who were lost. Not unwell in a clinical sense. Unmoored. Without direction, without belonging, without anyone to mark the moment when boyhood ended and something more was required of them.
He walked away from conventional medicine to build the answer. Thirty years ago, before the conversation about boys’ wellbeing was mainstream, before the manosphere existed as a concept, he was already doing the work.
His 2013 book The Making of Men is a bestselling handbook for parents and teachers of boys. His programs have been attended by over 200,000 people globally and studied in peer-reviewed academic research. This is not a wellness product. It is a proven body of work with three decades of families behind it.
Featured in
Real families. Real results.
"The men who run it clearly care"
It is hard to explain to people who have not seen it. It is not a camp like a normal camp. Something actually happens there. The men who run it clearly care. Like genuinely care. It is not a job for them.
Parent
"Actually got through to him"
We have tried a few things. Counselling, sport, different schools. This was the first thing that actually got through to him. Other parents at school started asking what had changed. I just told them to look it up.
Parent
"He talked about it for weeks"
My son does not really open up much but he talked about it for weeks afterwards. He still talks about it. I wish I had done something like this when I was his age.
Parent
Your students are telling you something is not working. We can help you respond.
Most schools come to us because something is not landing. The wellbeing framework looks good on paper but is not reaching the students who need it most. We work alongside you to co-design something different.
Bespoke program design — no off-the-shelf solutions. Every school program is co-created with your community.
Staff professional development — the best PD your teachers will have experienced. Embedded, not just informational.
Whole-community impact — students, parents, and staff are all part of the process. The whole ecosystem changes.
Long-term partnerships — not one-off workshops. We build lasting capacity so your school can keep delivering the work.
$20k–$60k
Active School Partners Include
Geelong College
Woodcrest State College
Mullumbimby High
"The best PD I have done in 21 years of teaching."
Steve Lennon · Woodcrest State College
Not sure where to start?
We work with parents, schools, and individuals at very different stages. Some people know exactly which program they need. Most are still figuring it out. Either way, we would love to hear from you.
One business day response — a real person from our team will come back to you quickly.
No pressure — this is the beginning of a conversation, not a sales funnel.
We will find the right program for you — even if that means pointing you somewhere else.