Logan Zick
Research Question:What are the long term benefits of wilderness therapy programs?
Thesis Statement:When people are transitioning to new or different points in their life it can be hard, especially if one is going somewhere new, such as college or a new high school. Making these transitions can be awkward and uncomfortable, but it becomes much easier if there is a sense of familiarity to some part of it. This is why orientation programs exist at colleges, to give students connections and relationships amongst other students. But these programs offer little in areas that give incoming students better life skills. Several academic journals have critically studied the colleges and high schools that have implemented wilderness therapy programs. There is evidence of great benefit of these programs. Montreat College in North Carolina has implemented one of these programs and they have seen an increase in student productivity and the students maintained personal relationships with members that went on these trips. Through many studies and interviews from participants of these trips, it is obvious that there is a tremendous value in these programs. The benefits transcend many transitional areas such as going to college or starting high school.
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Thesis Paper:
Action Project Description:
I designed a 5 day 4 night backpacking trip for a local company called True Elevation Wilderness Ministry. I designed the trip for a middle school audience. so every part of planing the trip I had to think about what could middle schoolers hike effectively what would a day look like? when would breakfast lunch and dinner be? and what would we do before or after those things? alongside planing the logistics of the trip I had to plan devotionals that the kids could understand. in the end I made a trip that the owners of True Elevation where very happy with and hopefully I will get to leader the trip this summer.