March Madness
By Holly Hunter | March 23, 2009
Tis the season for March Madness once again. Yes, the NCAA basketball stars are all out in their finest; the best of the best are working, or should I say playing hard at one final attempt to be the best. Whether you watch the men’s or women’s basketball games you will see the same thing: young athletes working at being their best.
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. Continue reading »
Comment here »NATWC member receives the AEE’s Phil Costello Award
By Jason Brode | March 18, 2009
NATWC Member receives The Association of Experiential Education’s Phil Costello Award
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. Continue reading »
1 Comment »Dancing With The Stars
By Holly Hunter | March 11, 2009
I just finished watching the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars. I love to watch the professionals dance across the open floor with grace and charm, but more than that I love to watch them draw the celebrities out of their comfort zone and teach them something new. To be able to watch a football star, a television actor or Olympic athlete evolve onto a dancer is exciting. In order to accomplish their goal the professional dancer utilizes the celebrity’s state of vulnerability to develop a bond of trust in order for each celebrity to become dependent on the professional dancer to teach them the fundamental skills of dancing. As a result the celebrities step out of their comfort zone, develop this new skill as they apply the fundamental steps into a dance.
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. Continue reading »
Comment here »Why Wilderness is Still Relevant
By Linda Tatsapaugh | March 2, 2009
Sixty years ago, Campbell Loughmiller launched a new – and yet very old – approach to helping troubled kids, with the opening of Camp Woodland Springs in Texas. The basic idea was that time spent in nature, learning how to work cooperatively in a camping setting, would teach young people important lessons for growing into responsible citizens. It was a simple concept, one which has been expanded upon ever since.
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? Continue reading »
Comment here »The Power of the Certification Process
By Micah Wheat | March 2, 2009
There is something special about a diploma, degree, or a credential and the process we go through to earn that “piece of paper”. I can personally attest to the value of NATWC’S Counselor Certification process. It is the most professional and specialized blanket credential a direct care service provider could obtain. Continue reading »
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