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.

SUWS 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.

Research 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

SUWS employees are guided by the core values: Respect, Integrity, Accountability, Responsibility, and Excellence.

As an accredited provider through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, SUWS is required to commit to quality improvement, focus on the unique needs of each person we serve, and monitor the results of our services." SUWS curriculum has earned the distinction of quality through the recognized seal of AdvancED accreditation. As a member of National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, SUWS is required to be licensed by the appropriate state agency authorized to set and oversee standards of therapeutic and/or behavioral healthcare for youth and adolescents or accredited by a nationally recognized behavioral health accreditation agency and to have therapeutic services with oversight by a qualified clinician. Member of the Association of Experiential Education Licensed through the Department of Health and Welfare Accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement