Wilderness Acclimation

Now that Josh is on his way to Utah I feel a huge sense of relief and can actually get some sleep. Brian and Randy text me continually throughout the day. "We are at the airport and Josh is fine. He had a big breakfast", "We are on the plane", "We have landed in Denver. Josh is in good spirits and is eating again", etc. Finally when they reach Elements they call me to tell me he has been delivered, safe and sound. So far, so good.

Josh is taken for a physical and then outfitted with all his gear and taken to where his group is camped. He is with a group of ten boys who have a variety of issues, from substance abuse to oppositional defiant behavior to depression. By design, they have been in the program varying lengths of time. Enrollment is rolling with boys arriving and leaving each week or so. That way the boys with some time under their belts can help the new boys get acclimated, offer support and reassure them about what to expect. It gives the more tenured boys an opportunity to practice the new leadership,team-building and interpersonal skills that they have been learning.

The first phase of the program, which lasts for a couple of days, is called Acclimation. The student is assigned both a peer mentor and a staff mentor. They learn the routines of living with a group in the wilderness and begin to share in the chores. They read "The Knight in Rusty Armor", which is about a knight who discovers that he must shed his social and emotional armor to expose his authentic self, and they explore the parallels between the knight and themselves. They are given a major assignment, which is to write a detailed and comprehensive personal history.