Author: alexandra celeste
Mentor Video
please follow link below:
land of the free
“In wilderness, distractions such as social and economic status, image and materialism are irrelevant. Nature does not treat any one person any differently than any other no matter their status or their possessions. Wilderness provides a neutral context to create a community with intention, one based on essential fundamentals of human community: trust, honor, integrity, effort, authenticity, and compassion.”
-Open Sky WIlderness
Scary but Cool!
An example of a wilderness therapy ropes course, looks intense!
Below: A group of Outward Bound participants with physical disabilities after completing a ropes course
Facility Branches
Owner Narrative
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is teaming up with Open Sky Wilderness to create their very first adventure based therapy complex which will offer lodges for monthly and weekly stays. Year long, it will also provide recreational outdoor wilderness activities, mentoring services and psychotherapy for all participants.
The facility will have three separate branches which will serve three main areas of expertise. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America will operate as the “Mentoring Branch”, Open Sky Wilderness will operate as the “Adventure Branch” and there will be an on-site therapist which will function as the “Therapy Branch”. Adventure based therapy, behavioral modification and mentoring services will primarily serve pre-teen/adolescent boys and girls between the ages of 11-14. Services will be geared towards pre-teens that are struggling with a myriad of behavioral issues or personal challenges.
For Example:
– Self-Esteem Issues
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Social Skills Deficits
– Identity Issues
– Grief & Loss
– Family Problems
– Adjustment Issues
– Self Harm
– Chemical Dependency
– Bi-Polar Disorder
– Borderline Personality Disorder
– Anger Management
– ADD & ADHD
– Learning Differences
– Mild Eating Disorders
– Oppositional Defiance
– Entitlement
– Relationship Issues
– School Problems
– Promiscuity
– Attachment Issues
– Negative Life Patterns
Wilderness as a Classroom
Nature also provides the best classroom to learn one of the essential truths: that with every action, there is a subsequent reaction; for every cause, there is an effect. In essence, moving out of childhood is moving into conscious awareness in which we no longer are a function of our trauma, our family story, our incorrect beliefs or our impulsive conditioning (involuntary conditioning). We aim to help each of our students learn that they have the ability to make choices with what they do and how they respond to circumstances in their lives.
– Open Sky Wilderness
http://www.openskywilderness.com/why-open-sky/what-is-wilderness-therapy
List of Activities by Branch
During the summer the facility works as adventure based therapy center and specialty summer camp which utilizes wilderness therapy, behavior modification and mentoring services. The facility provides lodge-like cabins for participants to use as their own residential space, somewhat reminiscent to a nature based dormitory or sleep away camp. During the entire school year it functions as a mentoring center for pre-teens part of the on-site mentoring programs. They are also available to join the clinical therapy program which offers personal and group services with a clinical therapist. These clinical services are also available to all participants of the specialty camp, in which they can return during the off-seasons to continue their progress. Throughout the year, the facility provides outdoor activities which are open to local youth groups, church groups and middle schools. With advance notice, certain rooms of the facility, sleep over lodge and outdoor recreational equipment (e.g canoes, tents) may be used for either daily activities, field trips or weekend long stays.
alexandra fernandez 