Starting A Wilderness Program

[stringbean]

Currently I am a youth counselor working at an independant living program and have been playing around with the idea of starting a wilderness program. My problem is that I have no idea where to start and I don't really know anyone who does either. The man who founded our program died this summer. Is there anyone here who would have any useful information? I am very interested in doing this but I need help. If anyone can help me in even the slightest way I would be very thankful.

[Obsidian]

I found this online http://www.outdoortherapy.org/

I knew someone who worked at Sagewalk Wilderness School (used on the show Brat Camp) Their website is http://www.sagewalk.com Perhaps you can look there or even contact someone there...

[stringbean]

thanks for the links. the outdoor therapy website seems useful.

[freefall]

Currently I am a youth counselor working at an independant living program and have been playing around with the idea of starting a wilderness program.

I applaud your innitiative and patience! Anything that gets kids to experience the outdoors is a good thing. I just wish I had the patience. A guard at a youth facility here in CO keeps asking me to assist in their program but I don't know if I could deal with it. Last summer I watched an all girl Outward Bound type group perform a "sit-in" in the middle of the trail utterly frustrating their leaders.

You might want to contact the group here http://www.jointcommision.org to see if they have any ideas as to where to start. They provide accreditation for all sorts of healthcare and treatment organizations including youth wilderness.

[Tha Wookie]

There is a group called second nature that does youth wilderness programs, look them up. I would study several orgnizations and see how they do things.

good luck! Our youth need more wildness!

nate

[Footslogger]

Our youth need more wildness!

nate

=============================

Ain't that the truth. Even a book about it called "Nature Deficit Disorder"

How ya doin Wook ??

'Slogger

[Boat Drinks]

Currently I am a youth counselor working at an independant living program and have been playing around with the idea of starting a wilderness program. My problem is that I have no idea where to start and I don't really know anyone who does either. The man who founded our program died this summer. Is there anyone here who would have any useful information? I am very interested in doing this but I need help. If anyone can help me in even the slightest way I would be very thankful.

The company I'm retiring from runs Marine and Wilderness programs, but these kids are adjudicated to them. I have been working for this company for 8 years and can answer questions if you like, but hurry, I leave for my Thru in 12 days!

[Boat Drinks]

There is a group called second nature that does youth wilderness programs, look them up. I would study several orgnizations and see how they do things.

good luck! Our youth need more wildness!

nate

They had a banner link on WB recently, I called them and am considering going to work for them when I'm done hiking!

[ed bell]

The company I'm retiring from runs Marine and Wilderness programs, but these kids are adjudicated to them. I have been working for this company for 8 years and can answer questions if you like, but hurry, I leave for my Thru in 12 days!

Are you talking about AMI?

[Tipper]

Look up www.wildernessinquiry.org. They've been bringing people into wilderness areas for over 30 years. What they ARE NOT is a therapeutic wilderness program. They do vacation trips in remote areas, contract trips with youth serving organizations, families, and companies, as well as cutting edge practical research with the local university.

[Boat Drinks]

Are you talking about AMI?

I was. I am the (outgoing) Program Manager at the Panama City Marine Institute.

[stringbean]

guys i can't express enough thanks for the great replies. keep em coming if you can. boat drinks id love to ask questions but i don't even know what to ask yet. i pretty much need to do lots of research and find out what kind of questions i need answered. maybe ill see you this summer and have some questions. im section hiking from ct to katahdin starting june 1st.

[stringbean]

boat drinks, heres a question... where do i start? what would be the first things that i would do after doing some research and networking?

[Lyle]

You didn't say what type of program you are interested in. I worked for VisionQuest. They run programs for court placed youths who got themselves in trouble with the law.

The AT passes right past one of their wilderness camps on South Mountain in PA. If you hike in the area, you may see one of their groups out for a day hike on the AT. VisionQuest is a national program with many different facits including a Wilderness Staff. They borrow a lot of traditions from the Plains Indians. My suggestion is that you request an appointment with someone in their regional office, make sure to explain what you are interested in learning.

VisionQuest Eastern Office
352 Marshallton-Thorndale Road
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 486-2280

http://www.vq.com/

I won't say that the program is controversy free, but it has been around for over 30 years and I can personally attest to some of it's successes. In fact, I'm heading to PA next week to visit one of the young men I met while working there. He has a family and is doing well. To this day, his mother credits VisionQuest with saving his life - literally.

If you would like more information from me, send a PM or email. If you are interested, I have several copies of a book written about the beginning of VisionQuest - how it was started, their many difficulties, and their philosophy. I could loan you a copy for you to check out. Let me know.

Lyle

[Boat Drinks]

The Associated Marine Institutes is a non-profit organization that operates over 50 programs for juvenile offenders in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. AMIhad its beginnings at Florida Ocean Sciences Institute (FOSI) in 1969, as a spin-off from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Its first four years were spent engaged in a variety of oceanographic research projects.
http://www.amikids.org/Default.htm

This too is for kids that have been in trouble with the law, or are referred by schools that have expelled them.

I guess what you need to do with your research is decide what kind of program you want to run, therapeutic or recreational. Then you will need to decide what kind of treatment philosophy you want to use, (if you go therapeutic). Then you need to decide how you want to be funded; privately or through state or local contracts like with the Department of Juvenile Justice or Dept of Children and families etc...

We use Operant conditioning with a strong emphasis on Glasser's Choice Theory. We use experiential learning like SCUBA, ropes, courses, hiking, etc, to motivate and build confidence in kids. It's wild to watch a kid see a mountain or a barracuda for the first time. Some kids have never been out of their back yard.

[stringbean]

sorry i wasn't clear but it will definately be a theraputic wilderness program. like i said i am a youth counselor and have a bachelors degree in criminology. the target population would most likely be teenagers and young adults. i really appreciate the dialouge; it has been helping me to brainstorm! lyle, the vision quest program sounds interesting. i'll be contacting you for more information. I am not sure what kind of tx philosophy to use, so it sounds like that might be a step in the right direction.

[jodestick]

i worked for an outdoor theraputic program for almost 5 years. i'd be happy to email back and forth with you. send me a PM and i will give you my email.

[Tha Wookie]

They had a banner link on WB recently, I called them and am considering going to work for them when I'm done hiking!

My roommate worked for them. She loved it, but decided to take the winter and summer off to farm here for our CSA program.

I know another woman in town who worked there as well, and it taking the winter off. She is going back.

Every kid has to use a friction fire method (usually bow drill) to cook any meals. Pretty cool. That's a good way to live. Sometimes food ought to be cold

Another thing about Second Nature.... high quality staff people. I've considered it, but could never do it due to scheduling.

By the way, we do informal wilderness awareness instructor training here at the roots farm from time to time. Let me know if you're ever interested.

enjoy the full moon

[Boat Drinks]

My roommate worked for them. She loved it, but decided to take the winter and summer off to farm here for our CSA program.

I know another woman in town who worked there as well, and it taking the winter off. She is going back.

Every kid has to use a friction fire method (usually bow drill) to cook any meals. Pretty cool. That's a good way to live. Sometimes food ought to be cold

Another thing about Second Nature.... high quality staff people. I've considered it, but could never do it due to scheduling.

By the way, we do informal wilderness awareness instructor training here at the roots farm from time to time. Let me know if you're ever interested.

enjoy the full moon

Right on! I'd like to chat with you about it sometime if that'd be cool!

[camille101]

To those who want to know more about Wilderness therapy/ programs could give some of my resources for you to read. I've been writing some articles about wilderness programs and would love to share it to you. This could help you in some way on your search for wilderness programs. As we all know the wilderness helps young people learn about themselves and develop a more realistic, positive perception of life. Teens often report that wilderness therapy was the first time they sat down and truly though about who they want to be and what they want with their life to be like. Most programs rely on metaphors drawn from experiences in the wilderness to teach important life lessons, which can be generalized to situations at home