Students in the round is key to the curriculum’s success where every voice carries equal weight

It’s not often that the events and actions of our youth continue to resonate decades later. But then again; most people aren’t Louie Zamperini.

Olympic athlete, WWII hero, and the subject of the best-selling book and acclaimed movie, UNBROKEN, the former troubled youth from Torrance, California has lived a life most people could scarcely imagine – or endure.

Adrift in a life raft for forty-seven days after his plane went down in the Pacific in 1943, he and the only other surviving member of his air crew were subsequently picked up by Japanese forces and sent to some of the most brutal POW camps of the island nation. Subjected to torture, starvation, and forced labor by his captors, Louie Zamperini would never allow his spirit to be broken.

He and his fellow POWs were eventually rescued by US forces after the defeat of Japan and were sent home as heroes. But the horrific memories of his experiences continued to plague Zamperini long after the war had ended. He suffered from extreme bouts of PTSD (a condition not diagnosed or understood at the time) and turned to alcohol to numb his pain. His sleep was punctuated by horrific nightmares where he thought he was being tortured by the sadistic POW camp commander; a Japanese officer known as “The Bird.”

His son, Luke Zamperini remembers hearing about the terrors his father suffered through. “At times, the dreams were so bad, my dad would wake up literally choking my mom, thinking that she was, The Bird.”

Knowing that their lives could not continue on this trajectory, his wife suggested that Louie attend a religious tent revival in downtown Los Angeles, led by a then unknown evangelist.

Billy Graham

Experiencing a tent revival led by the charismatic Graham was an experience that would turn the long-suffering war hero’s life around. He gave up alcohol, and turned his energy away from anger and revenge, and toward serving Christ. Amazingly, this cleansing of his soul ended his struggles with PTSD and his nightmares. The year was 1949, only four years after the war ended and he had returned home.

But exorcising his personal demons wasn’t enough for Louie; he wanted to help others eliminate theirs.

He became a missionary, and headed back to Japan in 1950. While there, he visited some of his former captors that were now being held in prison as war criminals. It was at this point that Louie’s life would change once again; the former POW who had thought of nothing but hatred and revenge since his ordeal, now unconditionally forgave his captors. Some of the former guards were so moved by the gesture, that they converted to Christianity on the spot. Unfortunately, The Bird would not meet with him, although Louie insists that he would have forgiven him as well.

*Louis Zamperini with Olympic Torch “Carrying a Torch for Youth Since 1952”*

Victory Boys Camp

There had been many turning points in Louie’s life, and the next several decades would mark another of these. Fresh off his missionary trip to Japan, he returned to the US seeking a new way to serve the Lord and others. Harking back to his troubled youth and how the physical and mental challenges of running track had focused his energies in a more positive way, he endeavored to bring the experiences to other young men to help turn their lives around as well.

In 1952, fully ten years before the Outward-Bound USA program would hang out its shingle, Louie approached the California Youth Authority about taking incarcerated youth and exposing them not just to the challenges the outdoors presented, but also to the sense of accomplishment and character building it could instill.

Luke Zamperini recalls laughing that, “The CYA really wanted to have my dad do the program, but the only way they could allow him to do it was to deputize him – and so they did!”

The Victory Boys Camp was a huge success as dozens of at-risk youths were able to experience – many, for the first time in their lives, the thrills, and challenges of pushing oneself in activities such as rock-climbing, boating, horseback riding and many other outdoor activities. The proof of its lasting impact was seen and heard decades later as Louie was the keynote speaker on various cruise ships where several members of the audience spoke up and told him that they had attended the Victory Boys Camp in the fifties or sixties, and that it had turned their lives around.

The Victory Boys program was kept alive with help from Louie’s son Luke, his daughter-in-law, Lisa, and their son, Clay, up until and beyond the passing of the renowned, Captain Louis Silvie Zamperini, in 2014.

As Lisa Zamperini so eloquently states regarding the passing of her beloved father-in-law, “Louie’s heart for kids, became our heart for kids.”

But the legacy and impact of the amazing life of Louie Zamperini wasn’t done evolving just yet; It would undergo still another transformation, even if posthumously.

Heather Fuller

Around 2017, Luke and Lisa Zamperini received a letter from the mother of a high school teacher in Texas. The woman explained that her daughter had used the lessons from the biography, UNBROKEN, to develop a curriculum that sought to teach her students to emulate the life skills of Louis Zamperini in order to build character, overcome adversity, and resolve interpersonal conflicts.

Luke and Lisa immediately flew down to Texas, and over the next several years, the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM, was tested, honed, and perfected.

Drawing from the didactic lessons of the YA version of the book, UNBROKEN, the students immerse themselves with the unique companion exercises the curriculum has developed.

At some point, painter’s tape is laid out in 2’ by 6’ rectangles on the floor of the classroom to simulate the size of the life rafts Louie and his companions had to survive on in the Pacific. The students then sit inside the mock ‘life-rafts’ to gain a small sense of the hardships the men had to endure – if only for the 45 minutes of the class.

Participation is not optional, and the “Harkness Method,” is used to ensure the engagement of every student. This teaching method involves students seated in a large, oval configuration to discuss ideas in an encouraging, open-minded environment with only occasional or minimal teacher intervention.

The results of the program have been nothing short of astounding – especially when you consider that the ONE-TIME cost of the curriculum is only $199 per teacher!

Yes; you read that right, and it’s not a typo; only $199 per teacher!

For the cost of what most people pay for streaming services or cell phone plans per month, a teacher can implement this program to multiple students, throughout multiple classes, and for as long as they want.

Those who have taken advantage of this incredible opportunity have not been disappointed. Educators and parents alike have observed first-hand the effects of utilizing the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM: a significantly heightened level of student-to-student empathy, a reduction in bullying and overall school violence, and a newfound cohesiveness among students. Even at-risk and “lone wolf” students become engaged, and have been brought into the fold.

But the people who have seen the greatest change are the students themselves, as witnessed by the thousands of letters written to the Zamperini Foundation to thank them for being such a profound influence on their lives.

Some examples:

“Your story is one that I can’t help but marvel at! It inspires me to face the issues I’m currently dealing with. It gives me HOPE for the future. Thank you for persevering and continuing to fight. Your legacy and inspiration will never fade”.

~ Lillian, 15

“Your story resonates with me so much because it is the story of life after hardship, forgiveness after pain, belonging after losing oneself. Whenever I am in a tough situation, I will ask myself, ‘what would Louis do’.”

~ Blaize, 14

“Hearing about your story put things into perspective. EVERYONE matters. Forgiving the Bird helped me realize that no matter the person, they still matter.”

~ Brooke, 15

Because of its incredible success, the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM is actively being used in hundreds of middle and high schools in all 5o states. It is also tailored for programs for at-risk youth, as well as adults in recovery.

The Zamperini family and the members of the Zamperini Foundation board continue to carry the torch and to do as Louie did: never give up, or give in. If you would like to learn more about the story of the UNBROKEN CURRICULUM, please visit: https://www.zamperini.org/

Authors note: As someone who has worked with at risk youth and taught in a maximum-security prison for several years, I implore you to reach out to your school’s teachers, administrators, superintendents, school boards, and elected officials to take advantage of this incredible opportunity. I can tell you that beyond a doubt, if this program had been available and utilized for the inmates I instructed, many of them would not have ended up behind bars wasting their lives away. The choice is obvious: pony up $199 now, or pay $50,000 a year per inmate to house, feed, and clothe them for life.

To view the video, click on the link: https://louiszamperini.wistia.com/medias/6fh73yu78n

To view the mini-documentary of the Unbroken Curriculum, please click here: https://louiszamperini.wistia.com/medias/6fh73yu78n

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Christopher Lynch is a Southern California native and freelance writer. His debut novel, One Eyed Jack, a hard-boiled crime thriller about a professional blackmailer, was a 2013 Shamus Award finalist, and a 2014 Writers Digest Honorable Mention for Genre Fiction. Eddie: The Life and Times of America's Preeminent Bad Boy, the memoir of Ken Osmond, the actor who played Eddie Haskell on Leave it to Beaver, is one of the highest rated celebrity biographies on Amazon.

He is also an avid cyclist and a mountain climber with successful summits of Mount Whitney, Mount Shasta, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Kalapatar in Nepal, and has recently completed a trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

He counts as one of his greatest accomplishments the successful training and leading of nine blind hikers to the summit of 10,000 foot Mount Baldy, the highest point in Los Angeles County, and the third highest peak in Southern California. A documentary film is being made of the adventure and you can view a trailer at: http://www.baldyfortheblind.com

He enjoys giving back to the writing community by offering free Self-Publishing seminars. He also taught creative writing at a maximum security prison north of Los Angeles. You can see more of Christopher J. Lynch’s writing at his website: http://www.christopherjlynch.com