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Spring Break Alternatives
Spring Break... two words that strike fear in the heart of parents and anticipation in the heart of teenagers.
Here's one word to take the terror out of those other two little words: camp.
Yes, instead of sending your darling into the alcohol-fueled danger zones of Florida, Cancun, or Palm Springs, how about splurging on a fun-filled week of musical theatre in Seattle, soccer skills training in Houston, or spelunking in Costa Rica?
Opportunities abound for teens to spend Spring Break in a wholesome environment with adult supervision and still have the time of their lives.
They may not even have to leave town, although for some that's the whole point of Spring Break. Local recreation centers, high schools, and local colleges often have organized activities that will coincide with your particular school's holiday schedule. You can also check with private educators in your area - like the music school, dance academy, hobby shop or pottery studio - to see if they are planning any week-long events. Many camps that you would normally think of just as "summer camps" also offer spring break programs.
Older teens and college students may have a truly rewarding experience by volunteering during their vacation.
College campuses across the country have developed Alternative Spring Break programs that include chaperoned trips to locales within and outside of the U.S. The University of Washington has a Health Care Alternative Spring Break that sends students to work in rural and underserved medical clinics throughout the state. Southern Methodist University is sending teams of students to places like New Orleans, Taos, Denver, and the St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge in Florida.
Another spring break volunteer opportunity is available through the Student Conservation Association. They will be taking youth 18 and over to two national parks, Padre Island National Seashore in Texas and the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, to work on environmental service projects. Each location will be running two separate sessions during the month of March. Participants will be provided with food and transportation once they are at the park, plus a $400 travel reimbursement to help get them there. They'll also need to bring their own camping gear. Visit www.thesca.org for more info.
Most of these programs require applications to be completed in January so get crackin'!
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Lone Star Expeditions is a therapeutic intervention in Texas that combines traditional therapy with a wilderness setting to engage students in exploring their character in a safe, but challenging environment. Lone Star is a licensed treatment program with a focus on assessment and intervention. We work with adolescents to transfer the knowledge learned to other areas of their lives. The forested, camp-like surroundings remove modern distractions and simplify choices to help students gain insight into their values and accept responsibility for their decisions.
Aspen Achievement Academy is licensed treatment program that integrates an accredited academic component, a sophisticated therapeutic model, and an experiential education curriculum in a healing wilderness environment. Aspen Academy recently participated in a landmark study of wilderness therapy that showed a dramatic improvement in teen behavior after participation in this type of program. The Academy creates a modern "rite of passage" designed to assist adolescents in making the transition to responsible young adulthood.