With this change in season comes a change in adventure programming. We now wash off the dust from the canoes, try on the climbing shoes, and ready the swim trunks for the summer time activities. Staff begin to prepare for a different type of adventure and recreational programming. They meet and discuss backpacking and climbing routes. Staff plan waterfront games and swim time events. We plan and work together to offer the best services possible with the great outdoors.  A heightened awareness is called upon for this new season and the activities that come with it.

This type of  direct care staff awareness  and preparedness comes from repetition of best practices being applied while working with the students. This type of knowledge can be obtained through the NATWC Counselor Certification Process

We hope that folks are enjoying the changes of the season and wish everyone a safe summer. Hope to see everyone at the conference this fall back on Jekyll Island Georgia!!!!

If we are idle in how we want things to happen, then it won’t. Fairly basic line of thought, but true in the same sense. It is like “they” always say: if you want something in this world, go and get it. It is those parents faith in us and our faith in the Wilderness Counselor Certification process that has helped so many students become successful back into the society.

Kahlil Gibran once said that, “Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.” NATWC has its goals set and is actively moving forward to reaching those. This is the difference of faith versus hoping.

NATWC is an action based organization with measurable results. To donate or to find out more on who we are and what we do please take the time to contact us.

They planned an adventure race, sports tournamnets, culinary challenge, lanscaping, and other activities. These self directed skills have been taught to them through our in house trainings and the trainings that front line staff can recive at the NATWC Conference. Past facliltators have taught staff how to provide structured activities for down time ranging from 5 minutes to an hour. This type of skill set will ensure that staff have the resources to keep students invested and moving forward in your program.

We knew it was a success when we looked back at all the landscaping that was completed and how excited the boys were when they won their group prizes. It is an amazing thing to see an older group of boys get excited about  winning a trip to go rollerskating and a younger group get excited about a cooking competition.

 I encourage Program Managers and Middle Management to get your staff certified through the NATWC Certification process.

How does a high-quality therapeutic program survive these times without compromising services? When parents are more hesitant or less able to spend family savings on expensive help for their children in crisis, and state and local budgets are seeing drastic cuts, this is a scary time for even the strongest program.

There is strength in numbers, and joining an organization of like-minded programs such as NATWC is a great way to find that power. NATWC members enjoy several crucial benefits, including exposure on the website, a forum for discussing real-time issues, and shared wisdom among members. The founders came together especially to be able to share information and solve common difficulties, which often appeared insurmountable to an individual program.

Whether it is creative stretches of the marketing budget, inexpensive alternatives in programming, or advice on how to lobby officials for continued support of important community services, NATWC members have a peer group that sees the value in sharing information and helping each other thrive. This has, in fact always been the most valuable purpose of NATWC for me. I know I have peers who are in this business for the right reasons and who are eager to help others achieve our common goal of helping families in need. If you are a member, take advantage of this community. If you are not, consider joining us. It could possibly be the smartest thing you do for your program this year.

As much as they say they disliked their experiences, refused the oatmeal or rice and lentils, shut down on rain soaked hikes, or refused to attend class, they typically still take the time write, call, or stop by for a visit after graduation.

 The letters are real and genuine more so than any they wrote during their time at our programs. The visits are some of the most heartfelt and joyous occasions I have experienced. The phone calls are upbeat and they are eager to share their success stories with us. They love to send pictures of them completing the Appalachian Trail, hugging their college sweet heart, standing beside their first car, holding their diploma, or in their Military Class A’s (formal attire).

I had a trifecta this past week! I got a visit from a student who struggled dearly with a ASD diagnosis. He is now succesfull in the IT world and has become proficient in operating ham radios. I also recieved a picture of another student via email right before his departure for his first tour of duty in Iraq. The third moment was a phone call from a student who is finding success back home with is friends and family after along and uphill journey.

These type of situations only occur when the professional services are being provided for our students. These professional services are acquired through trainings and then put to use each day by program staff. These trainings are provided by NATWC and other high-quality agencies.

Hundreds of students are graduating programs that employ staff accredited through NATWC’s Certification Process each year and enter back into the world with the skills and tools the need to be succesfull. 

These are the moments I live for. A phone call, a letter, or a visit from a student who swore he never would come back. Some even come back with a resume in hand, wanting to complete the circle of giving. I encourage programs to continue to take advantage of the chance to certify their staff with NATWC’s Counselor Certification Process. This will ensure that we can set our students up for success and hopefully sit in on an interview with them at your program, thus keeping the circle unbroken.

March Madness in the therapeutic world is about so much more than basketball. It’s about finding that special summer wilderness camp and getting your child registered before the spaces are completely full. March Madness is about getting your teenager re-directed after they have come off of a desperately self-destructive spring break. March Madness is the half-way check point to summer vacation from traditional school. This time of year brings into focus parents who are accepting that their at-risk adolescent is not going to make positive progress without professional help. Parents who desperately want their teenager in crisis to find a way to become their best are beginning to feel the pressure of making those difficult decisions.

NATWC is here to help. Although NATWC does not make referrals to summer therapeutic programs, wilderness camps, or therapeutic academic boarding schools NATWC does publish a list of requirements for membership and does maintain a list of members who attain to the high standards set by the NATWC Board. These publications are available here at the NATWC website and NATWC Executive Director, Rick McClintock is available to help guide parents through their March Madness by helping them navigate the NATWC website and telling them about the membership. Rick can be reached at 724-329-1098.

In 2006, The Mid-Atlantic Region of the Association of Experiential Education initiated the Phil Costello Award to honor the memory and spirit of Phil Costello. The Phil Costello Award was initiated to honor those individuals who demonstrate entrepreneurship and zeal in their support and promotion of experiential education. This years award will be presented to Brad Glenn at the upcoming AEE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference in Northbay, Maryland, March 20-March 22 (www.mid-atlantic.aee.org).  Brad Glenn is an employee of NATWC member program, The Diakon Wilderness Center. Brad Glenn has been an employee of Diakon since 2003 as a Wilderness Specialist. In this role, Brad is responsible for developing and maintaining wilderness adventure programming for three programs that serve at risk youth. 

In addition, Brad has developed a program called Team Impact to provide team building experiences for populations from the greater community as a way of supporting the overall mission of the center. Brad has designed programs individualized for groups such as church youth groups, alternative education programs, disabled children, college age groups, corporate groups, groups of health care providers and other professional groups. This award highlights Brad’s gift of working autonomously and being responsibile for program development, as well as inspiring others to skillfully use the many experiential tools available in this field. The result is an experience that impacts the way youth and adults feel about themselves, helps them relate positively  to others, and facilitates important life lessons. Brad has a rare ability to relate to others, and is an exceptional teacher who inspires others to not only merely use experiential activities, but capitalize on those experiences through the art of processing.

Many positive comments were submitted in support of Brad’s nomination for this award. Rhoda Toperzer, The Supervisor of Diakon’s Clinical Pastoral Education Program wrote:

             “I value how Brad is perceptively attentive to dynamics in individuals and groups as a whole. He honors people’s individuality in a manner that facilitates curiosity and respect in themselves and one another. He both adeptly decides and engages others in the process of input and decision making. He is artful in his ability to invite experiences for growth, navigating between providing security and opportunities for learning, development and growth.”

 Brad Glenn is an individual that inspires others to reach new heights through experiential education and the growth opportunities that wilderness adventures and challenge activities promote. NATWC would like to congratulate Brad Glenn on receiving The Association of Experiential Education’s 2009 Phil Costello Award.

Phil Costello was an advocate for environmental and experiential education, supporter of outdoor and wilderness programming for inner city youth and a founding member of the A.E.E.  Phil began his teaching career at a high school in Trenton New Jersey in the 1960’s and spent his summers helping to build Hurricane Island Outward Bound, becoming one of their first instructors. Phil went on to found Action Bound, an outdoor education program for inner city youth. This program became the catalyst for the formation of Project U.S.E. which Phil founded in 1970. In his later years, Phil established the Baltimore Island Outward Bound Program. On December 11, 2005, Phil Costello lost his year and a half battle with bone cancer.

It’s much the same when wilderness front-line staff works with at-risk adolescents. The staff at wilderness programs uses their skills to reach out and connect with the vulnerable teenager form a trust-bond. It is through this trust-bond that at-risk adolescents are able to develop fundamental skills that they, with the help of front-line staff transfer into everyday life skills. It is through these new life skills that these at-risk adolescents are able to find their self-esteem, self-reliance and self-management. These fundamentals are the building blocks which will carry them through life. I think it is fair to say that, in essence, when at-risk adolescents are in the wilderness the front-line staff teaches them to dance.

That is why the work we do at National Association of Therapeutic Wilderness Camping is so important. NATWC is dedicated to the training and certification of wilderness front-line staff. That means that front-line staff has a golden opportunity to learn from international experts in their field. As a not-for-profit NATWC relies heavily on your donations, membership and attendance at our annual conferences to be able to have funding to provide this certification and training to those who work directly with at-risk adolescents. When you join NATWC you help teach at-risk adolescents to dance the dance of life.

For more information on how to join NATWC contact Rick McClintock, Executive Director, 724-329-1098 or contact Holly Hunter, Board Member and Owner, SafePassage Adolescent Services, 800.811.7911.

Currently, there are a wide variety of therapeutic methods for helping kids and adults who are struggling.  Many involve verbal approaches, while others include animals, art, or physical techniques.  With so many choices, what is the relevance today of therapeutic camping? Is it not too simplistic for our modern world?

A growing number of researchers back up the assertion that the therapeutic use of the outdoors has tremendous value for many populations in need. Richard Louv’s book, Last Child in the Woods, recounts studies that have looked at various aspects of  “green time”, with and without a therapeutic intention.  Populations found to benefit include kids with ADHD, physical disabilities, those experiencing stress, and those showing at-risk behaviors.  Some benefits were: increased concentration and calmness, more positive attitude, improved problem-solving skills, more self-direction, improved motor coordination, and increased self-esteem.  And this is before you throw in therapeutic models.

There are today many variations on therapeutic wilderness camping, with numerous  approaches to utilizing the setting for the cause of personal development.  I believe, however, that the most fundamental element of each of those, is the “wilderness”, or outdoors, which, wisely used, can bring a greater impact on a person than any therapy alone. The wilderness has a powerful effect on people when they can experience it directly; this society seems largely to have forgotten this. Which is why the movement that NATWC represents is important and relevant even in this cyber age.