The Affinity Project Year-Long Programme
Having taught in schools and colleges for decades, it became clear that as students filled out their UCAS forms, looked for jobs and apprenticeships or began making plans for their gap year, something was missing. Many students kept telling us that ‘they didn’t know’ what they wanted to do or were worried about money or leaving the family home. Those that decided to take a break from study or starting their career often chose the well-worn paths of ‘gap year travel’.
Alongside this, there was a complete absence of a positive and healthy initiation into the adult world. A chance for young people to be challenged, consider difficult questions, grow and ultimately emerge as someone ready to move forward with purpose and intention. Beyond passing a driving test or enjoying a ‘beach and bar’ holiday somewhere with friends there didn’t seem to be an opportunity for a ritualistic and ‘sacred’ rite of passage.
The Affinity Project’s flagship project was born out of recognising the ancient wisdom of initiation ceremonies: the Native American Vision Quest, the Indigenous Australian’s Walkabout or the Navajo tribe’s Kinaalda. Inspired also by the work of Bill Plotkin and his ‘Soul Initiation’, we’ve designed the programme to provide a cocoon from which young people can emerge with more clarity on who they are, what they want and how they can contribute positively to society.
The programme moves in rhythm: first inward, then into relationships before looking towards the wider world. It draws from psychology, somatic practice, and ancestral models of initiation but is always grounded in the realities facing young adults today.
We don’t offer quick fixes or empty motivation. With the year-long programme, there is structure, support, and a community crossing the threshold into adulthood together with intention.
Phase One: Discover
The year begins with the chance to look within and build a more honest understanding of who you are and how you work. Over twelve weeks we look at topics such as:
- Personal and cultural identity
- Emotions
- Core human needs
- The adolescent brain
- How the nervous system responds to stress and connection.
- Behaviour Patterns
- Cycles of change
Rather than treating this as theory, everything is grounded in practice: reflective journaling, guided circles and tools that develop groundedness and self-awareness into everyday life. By the end of Phase One you’ll have a new language for your inner world and the ability to meet yourself with more clarity and confidence. You’ll also be an integral part of the group!
Phase Two: Relate
Once that foundation is in place, our focus shifts to our own stories about and relationships with the fundamental aspects of life. Another twelve weeks see us exploring:
- Money
- Exercise & Fitness
- Food & Nutrition
- Nature
- Work
- Ourselves
- Family & Relationships
Expert contributors join us to share their knowledge, practical skills and advice. Weekly themes build towards a residential weekend retreat in the UK, where the group gathers in person to deepen trust, practice embodied learning, and mark the midpoint of the journey.
Phase Three: Inspire
The final phase looks outward. With a clearer sense of self and wider society, the questions become: How do you want to step into the world? How can you inspire others? Here we work with
- Values
- Responsibility
- Leadership
- Purpose
- Intentional Goal Setting
Phase Three also includes preparation for a cultural immersion experience — seven to fourteen days in a setting that takes you beyond your familiar surroundings. This experience is so much more than a holiday or cultural tourism; it’s about service, secular spirituality and learning from another way of life. Returning home, participants will have the chance to integrate all of the insight into their decision making and future planning.