Which Course Should I Take?

 “These courses look great, but where do I start?”

Following is a guide for people who are wondering which Backpack Productions Course is the right entry point for them! Our courses are available online on our website and can be started immediately. Additionally, we offer select facilitated online courses hosted live via Zoom each semester. 

Backpack for Adults 

This course is the ideal starting point for people who are not familiar with Backpack Productions programs. Combines psychology and spirituality in a resilience building, self-development curriculum which fosters healthy relationships with self, others, and God. 

Ideal for:

- Anybody aged 18+

- People who want to develop resilience, stress and anxiety management, communication and boundaries, spiritual health, emotional regulation, etc. 

- People across the whole spectrum of strong spiritual belief or little to none at all 

- People who would like to facilitate the Backpack with young people/in their various community settings

- You! 

Backpack for Young Adults

The Backpack was originally designed for young adults. Running once a year in an online setting in the Summer, the Backpack for Young Adults is the same curriculum as Backpack for Adults, but catered to the developmental stage of younger people. This course is also available as an online course so your teenager can start right away!

Ideal for:

- Teenagers 

- Anyone between ages 13-20 

- Confirmation candidates 

- Young people at transitional points: e.g., starting high school or college

- Young people who need skills for anxiety and stress management, who have questions about their faith, or who want to develop communication and conflict resolution skills.

- Young people who are unsure about their religious beliefs or personal spirituality

- Young people dealing with any of these Contemporary Challenges

Backpack Facilitator Course 

This course serves the double purpose of a) training people to be able to facilitate Backpack Productions courses in their various community settings, and b) providing a community for people who want to stay connected to the Backpack network. Runs as a Facilitated Group only.

Ideal for:

- Backpack Leaders who benefit from the support and community while they teach or present a Backpack course

- Anyone who wants to bring the Backpack program to their community

- Teachers or educators

- Social workers, youth workers, community development workers, parish workers, etc

- People who have taken the Backpack course (or have had at least some exposure to the curriculum)

- People who have taken other courses and would like to stay connected to the Backpack community!

Mothers of the Church (Year One)

Combines psychology and theology in a curriculum which invites women to engage more deeply with their feminine role and identity. Enables women to step into their femininity and maternal strength and explore what that means, drawing on the maternity of Mary, Queen of the Church as an example. 

Ideal for:

- All women

- Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, wives, etc. 

- Non-biological mothers (women exercising maternity in other areas of life)

- Any woman mothering in unusual circumstances 

- Women preparing for marriage

- People who feel the need for a more developed, concrete, and honored role for women in the Church

- Women who are interested in learning more about themselves and their relationships, through the lens of their unique and sacred femininity

- Men who are interested in the psychology of motherhood and care about facilitating and supporting a new role for women in the Church 

Mothers of the Church (Year Two)

Following on from Mothers of the Church Year One, this course serves as a second module delving deeper into the concepts and outlining a direction for the uniquely feminine contribution and role of women in the Church.

MOC Year One is a pre-requisite of this course.

Ideal for:

- People who have taken Mothers of the Church Year One 

Backpack Adult Faith Formation 

Originally based on a weekend retreat program, Backpack AFF is perfect for anyone who wants to take a focused look on faith topics, with a backdrop of healthy, evidence based psychology. 

Ideal for:

- Anyone who is interested in the Catholic faith 

- Anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with God 

- Anyone who has questions about their faith or wishes to understand certain Church teachings better

Contemplative Prayer 

This course enables people to develop and deepen their prayer lives using the imaginative faculty and visualization techniques. For many people, our Contemplative Prayer course is ultimately the most life-changing. We generally recommend you take one of our other Backpack courses first, to prime yourself to receive these beautiful teachings. 

Ideal for:

- People who want to develop or deepen their prayer lives through a direct contact with Christ 

- People who would like to develop or refresh their spiritual connection, or relationship with God 

- People who have taken the Backpack, AFF, or MOC courses

- Christians or Catholics 

- People of other faiths who would like to learn a new method of prayer which may enhance their own prayer lives within the context of their personal spiritual journey 

We are currently working on a new course, Fathers of the Church, which will run alongside Mothers of the Church. We hope to make this course available in 2022.

If you have any questions about what course is a good fit or entry point for you or for someone you love, we can advise you accordingly if you contact our team at contact@thebackpack.life or +353 83 4877325. 

We look forward to welcoming you in the course that’s right for you!