For parents of struggling boys
A boarding school for troubled boys that builds men, not just better behavior.
Future Men is a Christian boarding school for troubled boys and young men ages 14 to 20, near Branson, Missouri, where struggling boys learn to take ownership and become men. When defiance, failing grades, anger or the wrong crowd have taken over at home, your son needs more than another lecture. Here he gets Christian men who hold him accountable every day, school he can catch up in and a real trade.
The short answer
What is a boarding school for troubled boys?
A boarding school for troubled boys is a residential school where a struggling teenager lives, studies and works under adults who hold him to a clear standard, away from the patterns that were pulling him down. At Future Men, that means Christian men who live on campus, academics accredited by Cognia, and a trade with a local business every Tuesday and Thursday. Parents choose it. It is not a boot camp, and it is not a clinical treatment center.
When parents describe a “troubled” son, they usually mean a boy who has stopped listening, stopped working and started drifting. The patterns we hear most often:
- Open defiance and disrespect toward parents and teachers
- Failing classes, skipping school or being suspended
- Anger, lying and stealing
- Marijuana, alcohol or vaping
- Pornography, gaming or screen addiction
- No motivation and no plan for the future
- Growing up without a consistent father figure
- Ages served
- 14–20
- Students
- 18–20
- Months, typical stay
- 9–18
- Founded
- 2002
Why Future Men is different
Faith, school and a trade.
Every week, all three.
A struggling boy rarely needs only one thing. Few schools bring faith, school and a trade together. Future Men does all three, so your son grows in faith, catches up in school and learns to work at the same time, with Christian men holding him accountable every day.
- Pillar 01
Christian discipleship
Christian men live on campus and walk through each day with your son. Bible studies, vulnerable one-on-one conversations and consistent accountability are the minimum standards at Future Men.
Learn more - Pillar 02
Accredited academics
Coursework accredited by Cognia and prescribed for each student, with staff alongside students every day, helping them catch up to where they need to be, earn high school credits and graduate with a diploma in hand.
Learn more - Pillar 03
Trades & apprenticeships
Every Tuesday and Thursday, every student works at a local business learning a real trade. Students graduate not only knowing the theory of becoming a man, but with the experience of working a real job with genuine responsibilities.
Learn more
Why residential
Not one hour a week.
Clear expectations, all day, every day.
A weekly appointment covers one hour. A residential school shapes the other 167. At Future Men, every one of those hours has a standard, and your son is held to it:
- A clean break. Away from the old friend group and the old patterns.
- Christian men who are present. The men who mentor your son live on campus. They see how he actually lives, not only how he talks in an office, and they hold him accountable for it.
- A full schedule. Chores, school, work, meals, Bible study, church on Sunday and rest. Every day has a plan.
- Hard work. Every Tuesday and Thursday, your son works at a local business learning a trade. He learns to show up on time, take direction from a boss and see every job through to the end.
- A way back in school. Accredited academics with an individual plan, with staff alongside him every day. He earns high school credits, makes up what he missed and works toward a diploma in hand.
What we are not
Not a boot camp.
Not a reform school.
There are no drill instructors and no military model at Future Men. It is a Christian school and discipleship home with clear structure, clear consequences and consistent accountability. Boys become men here through Christian men who walk alongside them every day, Scripture, school and hard work.
Future Men is Christian mentoring and discipleship. We do not provide licensed therapy or psychiatric care. Our admissions team reviews every situation individually to decide whether Future Men is the right fit for your son.
The right fit
Who Future Men is for, and who it is not for.
Future Men is for a son who needs structure, accountability and Christian men to follow. Our admissions team reviews every situation individually to decide whether it is the right fit.
Often a good fit when
- He is 14 to 20 years old.
- He is defiant, unmotivated or drifting, and the conversations at home are not getting through.
- He is behind in school and needs to make up what he missed.
- He is running with the wrong crowd, or caught in substances, pornography or screens.
- He has not had a consistent, strong man in his daily life.
- Your family wants an approach rooted in the Christian faith.
Not the right place when
- He needs medical detox, hospital-level psychiatric care, or licensed therapy as the core of his care.
- He is in immediate danger of harming himself or someone else.
- Your family is looking for a secular, non-religious program.
Future Men is Christian mentoring and discipleship. We do not provide licensed therapy or psychiatric care, and not every mental-health need can be safely served here. If your son is in crisis right now, call or text 988 or call 911.
Ask every program, including us
How to choose a safe program.
Your son’s safety comes first. Ask every program you consider these questions, and expect clear answers. Here are ours.
Safety and oversight at Future Men- Are you registered or licensed with the state?
- Future Men is registered with the Missouri Department of Social Services as a license-exempt, faith-based residential care facility under the Residential Care Facility Notification Act (HB 557).
- Does every adult pass background checks?
- Yes. Every adult completes state-required background checks, and staff live on campus.
- How and when can I talk with my son?
- Parents have a scheduled call with staff every other week, starting right away. After a three-week settling-in period, every student has a scheduled weekly family call, monitored by staff. Parents can reach out whenever they need to and are encouraged to visit. How families stay connected.
- How do you handle discipline?
- Future Men has clear structure and clear consequences. Ask admissions to walk you through them before you decide.
- Who accredits your academics?
- Cognia. Students earn high school credits, make up what they may have missed and work toward graduating with a diploma in hand. Academics at Future Men.
- What do you not do?
- Future Men is Christian mentoring and discipleship. We do not provide licensed therapy or psychiatric care. Not every mental-health need can be safely served here.
- What does it cost, and what are the terms?
- Tuition at Future Men is $6,300 per month. There is a one-time $2,000 nonrefundable admission charge that is not credited toward tuition. Emergency placement is an option when placement within 24 to 48 hours is a requirement, for an additional $1,500. Acceptance is still determined by our admissions team and bed availability. Families may withdraw at any time without notice. Tuition and fees are not refunded. Tuition details.
In his words
What a former student says
“I grew up without my father consistently in my life, and although I didn’t like the rules, Mr. Boldman and many others played a role in filling that void in my life for that season, which is something I will always be thankful for.”
Is a boarding school for troubled boys the same as a reform school?
No. "Reform school" usually means a court-ordered juvenile facility. Future Men is a private boarding school for struggling boys, and parents choose it. It is not a detention center. It is built on Christian mentoring, school and hard work, with clear structure, clear consequences and consistent accountability.
Is a disciplinary school or military school better for my son?
Military-style schools rely on rank, drill and outside discipline. That works for some boys. Many troubled boys, though, comply on the outside without changing on the inside. At Future Men, Christian men live on campus and hold every student accountable every day. The goal is a son who owns his choices, not one who only behaves while someone is watching. Compare the options.
What age range is best for a boarding school for troubled boys?
Future Men serves boys and young men ages 14 to 20. Older teens and young adults are welcome too, including 18, 19 and 20 year olds who are drifting after high school.
How long do boys stay?
A typical stay is 9 to 18 months. Admission is year-round, and emergency placements are available upon request. The right length of stay is part of the admissions conversation.
How much does it cost?
Tuition at Future Men is $6,300 per month. There is a one-time $2,000 nonrefundable admission charge that is not credited toward tuition. Emergency placement is an option when placement within 24 to 48 hours is a requirement, for an additional $1,500. Acceptance is still determined by our admissions team and bed availability. Families may withdraw at any time without notice. Tuition and fees are not refunded. Full tuition details.