Wilderness Therapy Helps Troubled Teens Excel at School
Ironic as it may seem, sometimes getting away from school puts troubled teens in the best position to excel in the classroom. There may not be textbooks or academic instructors in the wilderness, but there are teachers of another magnitude, says Sean Tomkinson, a therapist with SUWS Adolescent and Youth Programs.
"SUWS kids are really intelligent kids," Tomkinson said. "Most of them just didn't see the value in what their [previous] teachers were telling them to do. They need to have a reason to want to do well and we help them find those reasons."
Hands-On Learning at Wilderness Camp
Therapeutic wilderness programs like SUWS allow troubled teens to hike and camp in some of the nation's most beautiful places, accompanied by trained field instructors and experienced therapists. Teens at SUWS work their way through a phased system that teaches them about responsibility and the reward of a day's work.
Even though the focus is on the therapeutic nature of a wilderness camp, academic success is by no means ignored, Tomkinson said. In fact, the field instructors and therapists draw direct correlations between the lessons teens learn in the wilderness and their performance in the classroom.
"A lot of kids who come to SUWS have and attitude that they're a failure," said Tomkinson. "But we give them challenges where they have to succeed, then we build on those successes." Over time, teens start to realize that they are capable of achieving whatever goals they set, including doing well in school.
Building Self-Confidence in Troubled Teens
Most troubled teens who arrive at wilderness camp feel angry and a bit frightened about what their future holds. They may feel overwhelmed and helpless -- emotions that mirror what many underachieving students feel in school.
But where some would see failure, Tomkinson sees the promise of unfulfilled potential.
"We start with the basics, and we show these kids that they can succeed," he said. "Every student learns and performs at a different level, and it's our job to help them progress."
In wilderness therapy, one of the earliest confidence-building tasks teens perform is mastering primitive skills. At SUWS, teens are given spark rock and a piece of steel, and they're asked to make fire to get warmth and a hot meal. Although the task sounds daunting – and isn't easy by any stretch – teens gleam with pride when they realize they are capable of more than they give themselves credit for.
Another confidence-building assignment involves building a Native American stone-fall trap using nothing more than sticks and string. While the obvious goal is to create a trap, ensuring that all of the parts work together to make a functional piece of equipment, the field instructors at SUWS use this experience metaphorically throughout the teen's time in wilderness therapy. For example, teens may begin to understand the importance of their role as part of a peer group, family and member of society. The metaphor also applies to academics.
"The kids realize ‘I can do this. I'm able to focus and I'm able to break things down. I'm able to problem solve,'"Tomkinson said. "They're learning to see the big picture, but also to focus on all the small steps they need to take."
Learn From the Past, Focus on the Future
Even if a teen hates school or has failed classes, they may find themselves accomplishing the same tasks at wilderness camp without even realizing it. At SUWS, teens complete regular journal assignments and participate in both individual and group counseling sessions. Because they are engaged in hands-on learning, SUWS students don't always recognize how much time they're spending reading, writing, and learning about topics such as orienteering, interpersonal communication, psychology and biology.
By the end of the wilderness program, students can look back at all the progress they've made, as can their therapists and parents. As they progress through the program, students transform individual strengths into attributes that benefit the entire group as well as their families, learning along the way to trust and give back to others.
"Sometimes we get too focused on fixing problems," said Tomkinson. "At SUWS we look at it from the perspective of ‘what positive outcomes are these kids able to fulfill?'"
What Troubled Teens Need to Succeed in School
Teens in wilderness therapy do a lot of learning that applies long after the program ends. For example, they:
- Develop new coping, communication and life skills
- Learn how to break large projects down into manageable pieces
- Strategize, plan and evaluate before making decisions
- Gain flexibility, learning to make quick adjustments in thinking and behavior when needed
"I see so many kids who come into the desert saying ‘I can't, I can't,'" said Tomkinson. "But by the time they leave, they don't have that attitude anymore. Once they realize that they can't manipulate their way out of this program, they starting thinking ‘what's going to make me successful?'"
In wilderness therapy, troubled teens learn the skills they need to excel not just in the wilderness or at home, but also in school. The next time they find themselves facing a difficult math problem, a demanding teacher or a seemingly impossible project, they will have the confidence to persevere and succeed.
