111 A. Elk Ave/PO Box 2652
Crested Butte, CO 81224
(970) 349-2590
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Wilderness Opportunities programs empower youth via adventure experiences with the following goals:
*Enhancing self-confidence and self-dicipline
*Promoting self-exploration
*Developing healthy communication and relationships among youth and their instructors/mentors
*Teaching accountability, commitment, teamwork and leadership
Founded by David Green and Hank Ebbott in May of 1999. Widerness Opportunities provides well-organized experiential education and wilderness therapy programs to effect positive change and personal growth within our students. We operate in the Gunnison National Forest under a special use permit from the USDA Forest Service Division and are licensed and in good standing with the State of Colorado.
Visit our web site at www.wildernessopp.com
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7 DAY WILDERNESS PROGRAM
7-Day Wilderness Program is for pre-existing youth support groups or agencies in Colorado’s Western Slope (ie., alternative schools, special education classes, social service and mentorship agencies). This program provides experiential learning opportunities for community based youth groups designed to intercept negative or defeating behavior and provides youth with experiences which enhance self-esteem, improve communication and life skills and create a unique environment that bonds peers.
7-Day Wilderness itinerary
Morning Mid-Day Evening Group Discission
Day 1 Intake and introductions Move to camp Set camp Teamwork, group responsibility, value contract
Day 2 Break camp Ropes course Set camp Ropes course debriefing: overcoming fear, gaining trust
Day 3 Break camp Hike to base camp Set camp Summit preperation: challenge and accomplishment
Day 4 Camp duties Summit peak Camp duties Summit debriefing: personal challenge, communication, personal accomplishment
Day 5 Break camp Hike Set camp Rock climbing preperation: trust and responsibility
Day 6
Prepare to climb Rock climb -swim/caving
Camp duties Rock climbing debriefing: group trust and personal accountability
Day 7 Break camp / raft Return at noon
14 DAY WILDERNESS PROGRAM
Group Size: 8 youth
Date: 6/17/02-6/30/02
Cost: $1,500.00
For students who are looking for a challenging and inspiring outdoor experience. This program is designed to help promote self-discovery, enhance self-esteem and improve communication skills. Program activities incorporate teamwork, trust, decision making and communication. Students will call on and use the skills they already have, as well as discover new strengths and abilities. By utilizing group initiatives, challenge activities and outdoor education, participants are faced with many challenges they must rise to overcome. Emotional growth and personal development are explored and re-evaluated in daily group discussions and deepened via spontaneous teaching moments.
14 day Itinerary of Activities and Program Theme
Theme for first week: Teamwork, support, and group responsibility Activity, Evening Group Discussion
Activity Evening Group Discussion
Day 1 Intake Rules, respect, trust, and communication
Day 2 Inititives & Ropes Courses Trust teamwork, communication, fear and success
Day 3-5 Hike Check in with students, perseverence, and respect
Day 6 Rock climb Personal challenge, communication, and support
Day 7-10 Hike Check in with students, trip highlights, and what I’ve learned.
Theme for second week: Personal challenge, communication and accomplishment Activity Evening Group Discussion
Day 11 Raft Teamwork and communicatiom
Day 12 Raft & Climb School
Day 13 Hike Compliments
Day 14 Hike Change, home, and family
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21 DAY WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAM
Designed to help promote self-discovery, enhance self-esteem and improve communication skills with youth struggling in their home, school, or community. Our Ph.D. level mental health professional works first hand with our staff to develop individualized treatment plans for our participants. Each participant is assessed during our applicant screening process, then interviewed by our program staff to help establish a plan of options to best meet his or her needs.
This program provides a regimented daily structure of highly motivational activities and personal challenges designed to incorporate teamwork, trust, decision making and communication. Students are challenged with issues of accountability, honesty, integrity, trust, responsibility, anger management and self-confidence. By utilizing group initiatives, challenge activities and outdoor education, participants are faced with many challenges they must rise to overcome. Emotional growth and personal development are explored and re-evaluated in daily group discussions and deepened via spontaneous teaching moments. This is not a ‘fix it’ program. The purpose is to provide youth and families with a chance to explore new opportunities and learning that help foster personal development. For youth to whom “reality” has always appeared hopelessly complex and perhaps out of control, the isolation and simplicity of the outdoors help bring them back to the basics and into a more manageable world.
Group Size 8 Youth
Co ed Age 12-18
Dates : Course 1 7/7/02 - 7/27/02
Course 2 8/1/02 - 8/21/02 Cost : $ 3,250.00
“Wilderness therapy has been shown to snap at-risk adolescents out of self-defeating attitudes and perceptions and replace cynicism and alienation with feelings of empowerment, perseverance and confidence where established therapies and relationships have failed.” – Kimball and Stephen, 1993
21 day Itinerary of Activities and Program Theme
(this is not an exact schedule of events)
Each day involves group meetings about personal reflection, discussions of group/personal issues, problems, personal success and trip itinerary.
Activity Evening Group Discussion
Day 1 Intake Rules, respect, trust, and communication
Day 2 Inititives & Ropes Courses Trust teamwork, communication, fear and success
Day 3-5 Hike Check in with students, perseverence, and respect
Day 6 Rock climb Personal challenge, communication, and support
Day 7-10 Hike Check in with students, trip highlights, and what I’ve learned.
Theme for second week: Personal challenge, communication, acceptingorders and accomplishment
Activity Evening Group Discussion
Day 11 Raft Teamwork and communicatiom
Day 12 Raft & Climb School
Day 13 Hike Compliments
Day 14 Hike Change, home, and family
Day 15 Solo Personal Reflection
Day 16 Solo Question What personal changes do you want to make?
Activity
Day 17 Hike (student led)
Day 18 Ropes course (student led)
Day 19 Hike (student led)
Day 20 Hike Program closure
Day 21 Graduation Travel home
Theme for third week: Teamwork, control, and accountability. At this point in the program students take over leadership of the trip. The instructors’ role is to oversee safety, while the group must problem solve, communicate, and function as a team. Failure or dysfunction is left for the group to solve.
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Team Building & Leadership Skills Workshop (For pre-existing youth groups)
These two-hour workshops incorporate challenge-course initiatives to impart basic skills toward effective teamwork, communication, and problem solving.
With a special focus on group challenges, participants will discuss specific personal roles and behaviors that lead to the outcome of each activity. During this workshop participants are involved in a variety of activities and processing with their peers. We place a strong emphasis on participants working as a group to accomplish their set goals. By utilizing group games and initiatives, participants are faced with many challenges they must rise to overcome. This creates a unique experience that bonds peers and improves group communication skills. Topics to be covered will include:
Setting group goals
Group management skills
Activity processing
Group ground rules
Enhancing communication skills
Roles within the group
Competition issues Application and practice of group problem solving
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Activities Related to Wilderness Opportunities
Hiking
Rock Climbing
Whitewater Rafting
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