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"I'm
not exactly thrilled about being here and I miss my mother and father
and brothers; but I have to admit I have made good friends and I
like a lot of the stuff they make us do."
"When
we first went down in the cave and started squeezing through this
real tight place with a belly crawl I almost quit but I kept on
going and when we finished I felt awesome."
Hiking and Camping
White Mountains, NH
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he
school provides a relaxed yet distinctly structured environment
for adolescents who, for a variety of reasons, are not adjusting
to life with their families or to a more traditional boarding school.
Some of our boys have experienced problems with authority
and are oppositional; others are unhappy and restless and possess
great quantities of physical energy which they are unable to channel
in meaningful ways. Other boys are overly lethargic, bored,
or depressed. The majority of students have had difficulty
dealing with traditional educational instruction and are behind
in schoolwork. Many lack an awareness of the effect that
their behavior has upon others and often seem to "not get it."
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This
is a phenomenon usually associated with the diagnostic picture of
a non-verbal learning difficulty. Whatever the case, however,
all have become a source of frustration to their families.
Because more traditional psychotherapeutic
intervention has been ineffective for so many of the boys referred
to us, we must first attempt to communicate with a youngster at
his level of willingness rather than subscribe to any narrow theoretical
model. An environment is provided which offers each boy
the quality of human interaction and instruction necessary to develop
a better feeling about himself, a greater sense of self-confidence,
and an ability to interact with others in a more meaningful way. From
these attitudinal and behavioral changes arises the maturity which
is gained through increased awareness of self and the surrounding
world.
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