Parents worry about their child or young adult falling behind academically or missing school when considering a 10-12 week wilderness therapy experience. Flooded with doubt and guilt, and heavily influenced by pressures to focus on grades and credits, it is difficult to objectively weigh the pros and cons of withdrawing from school, and choosing wilderness therapy. This decision has been even more complicated during the past year as academics have been impacted by the remote, hybrid and modified education during the pandemic. Parents need not fret – their children and young adults get the benefit of social and emotional growth, while concurrently advancing their academic credits.
True North awards 3.5 high school credits for completing the program, inherently structured to support experiential education. With intentional design to hands-on learning, students aren’t required to memorize periodic tables or compose research papers. Students engage in an experiential curriculum that prepares them to be healthy, confident and independent learners who can return to and thrive in academic settings. The outdoor classroom reinforces critical life skills, a teamwork ethic, and an excitement for applied learning. Worried parents- it is time to adjust your perspective. Just because students are pausing their time in the traditional classroom, doesn’t mean that they are taking a break from learning valuable content that will propel them towards success in school.
An investment in emotional health restores a student’s ability to access their education and find success in school. The missed content in classes is easily recovered when they are emotionally strong and more self-confident and those 3.5 credits will often bolster their transcripts and put them ahead of where they may have been otherwise.
Authored by Kelly Webster, Director of Admissions. To learn more about Kelly, click here.
