A Typical Day at SUWS Adolescent

The daily schedule at SUWS varies depending on the needs of the students and whether the group is hiking or on a “layover” day.

Hiking Days

On a typical day, students emerge from their tents around 7 a.m., brush their teeth and take care of their basic hygiene needs, and make breakfast. After packing up camp, students gather in a circle and share their long- and short-term goals for the day as well as a morning reflection.

Five days a week, students hike an average of 4-5 miles through the stunning Bennett Hills of southern Idaho. This region is steeped with Native American history, where teens can visit ancient petroglyphs, walk through tribal territories and immerse themselves in the history of the land.

The opposite of a barren desert, our course area is teeming with life. Students draw inspiration from their surroundings as they climb mountaintops and descend into picturesque canyons, passing rock formations made up of incredible columns and shapes. While hiking, students stop for frequent health checks and take advantage of opportunities to use metaphor and group discussions to develop new insights.

After hiking, students eat lunch and set up camp. In the afternoon, they have time to work on the SUWS “curriculum,” which guides them through the physical aspects of our program (such as primitive skills, knot tying, geographical topics and animal tracking), personal care and personal growth. Students can earn academic credit for completing their daily assignments. During their free time, students play classic camp games like “coyote,” make up songs and find other creative ways to entertain themselves in the wilderness.

Around 6 p.m., the groups prepare and eat dinner and meet with their field instructor to follow up on their treatment plans. Before going to bed around 10 p.m., students gather around the campfire to discuss the day’s events and give closure to the day.

Layover Days

Two days a week students are stationed at a campsite where their days are structured with the following activities:

  • Meet with their primary therapist for individual and group therapy sessions
  • Engage in hands-on therapeutic activities such as ropes course initiatives, equine therapy and service projects
  • Work on primitive skills such as trap building and bow drilling (rubbing two pieces of wood together to create fire)
  • Enjoy a few minutes of free time to do laundry, write letters, play games and take a well-deserved shower

Sample Weekly Schedule at SUWS Wilderness Program for Teens

Service Projects
At SUWS wilderness program, we believe that we have an obligation to be good stewards of the land and model gratitude and responsibility for our students. Our groups participate in a variety of service projects with an emphasis on habitat restoration and land improvement.

Ropes Course
Students participate in team-building and leadership initiatives on our high and low ropes course. The perceived risk and complexity of some of the ropes course elements bring up mixed emotions in teens, giving our therapists opportunities to help students overcome challenges, build confidence and deal with frustration in a safe, therapeutic environment.

Equine Therapy
Equine therapy is a powerful way for adolescents to overcome their fears and learn new ways to approach problems. Working with horses can be intimidating and stir up feelings of frustration and anger, giving teens an opportunity to learn to work through those emotions in healthy ways. Through their experience with the horses, teens also learn trust, compassion and teamwork.

Initiatives
Adolescents complete a variety of team-building initiatives during their time at SUWS, from low ropes course elements to a blindfolded walk in the field. One initiative that most students complete is a trek to the tallest peak of a mountain where they symbolically “let go” of a burden they’ve been carrying.

Mock Search and Rescue
Students learn search and rescue skills such as first aid, map and compass use, and team response to emergencies as a way to reach outside of themselves and become essential, functioning members of a team.

Did You Know?

  • The book Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary was written about the territory our students hike in. In springtime, some of our treks are stunning – like walking through a bouquet of hundreds of wildflowers.
  • The beauty of southern Idaho is captured in the names of some of the sites we visit: Paradise Falls, Crow’s Nest, Mountain View and Cathedral.
  • Students at SUWS do not use artificial light sources. Groups rise with the sun, helping them reconnect with their natural rhythms and establish healthy daily routines.
  • There is nothing “typical” about a day at SUWS. Getting ready in the morning can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the group, and each day is designed with the specific needs of the students in mind.