SUWS Youth Wilderness Program

Our mission is to cultivate a solid foundation of personal self worth and value from which students and their families rediscover hope through positive reference experiences.

Assess Your Child's Need for PlacementSUWS Youth is among the oldest and most established outdoor experiential programs in the country. Since our founding 1981, we have been providing guidance and support to children and their families for more than 25 years. The SUWS Youth Program is a 28-day minimum stay, outdoor experiential program that addresses the needs of struggling youth between the ages of 11-13 who are demonstrating negative behaviors and unhealthy coping patterns. For the younger adolescents, the youth wilderness program provides a challenging and rewarding experience that gives each child a positive foundation for future growth. Opportunities for building confidence, developing problem-solving skills, and achieving tangible successes are provided to each student. Emphasis is placed on positive peer influence and leadership. Parents are given hands-on experience to address behavior patterns, develop new resources, and see their child as a person who is capable of change and success.

Family CampResearch and developmental psychology indicate that children between the ages of 11-13 have very specific needs - primarily safety, security, and predictability. They think in concrete terms and need tangible experiences from which to build. The SUWS Youth Program addresses these needs by providing an outdoor environment, in which a child grows through positive reference experiences.

Instead of merely confronting outward behaviors only, SUWS Youth excels at addressing the underlying causes of negative, unhealthy behaviors and working through impasses brought about by internal struggles. Common behaviors and symptoms that manifest negative feelings and beliefs include the following:

Defiant
Unreasonable
Low Self-Esteem
Out-of-Control
Manipulative
Failing in School
Lying
Impulsive
Rebellious
Running Away
Angry
Sad

Guiding Principles:
Youth and Family, Growth, Teamwork and Service