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[Editorial
Comment: "Mike Cottinham, Co-Founder of Wilderness
Ventures recently confirmed that his program still does not
work with children with behavioral or emotional problems and
will refer calls regarding children with those programs elsewhere.
- Lon Dec. 15, 2005"]
Wilderness
Ventures
Jackson
Hole, Wyoming
Mike & Helen Cottingham – Founders
800-533-2281
info@wildernessventures.com
For
the past 31 years, Wilderness Ventures has worked with high
school, junior high, and college students, combining their “love of
teaching young adults with their “passion” for the American Wilderness.”
They feel that rather than teach exclusively hard skills and low impact
camping, as many other well-known outdoor schools do, Wilderness Ventures
offers a more comprehensive approach to leadership training that is
more relevant to the ‘real world’, that emphasizes the importance
of group problem-solving, decision-making, and conflict-resolution,
in addition to the hard skills. Kids who apply for enrollment in this
program need references from coaches or teachers, who are called to
determine how well they interact with other kids, how well they follow
directions, and to assure they are free of alcohol and drugs. Applicants
with a history of behavioral difficulties who have successfully completed
an adequate program of intervention will be considered on a case-by-case
basis.
They have five separate program divisions. The Domestic Wilderness
Adventures range from 16 days to 6 weeks, vary in degrees of challenges
and are for students finishing grades 7-12. The Advanced Leadership
Programs are ideal for those who wish to gain the greatest degree of
outdoor skills and are offered for students finishing grades 10-college.
The International Adventures take place in a variety of international
wilderness environments for students finishing grades 8-12 who wish
to combine a cultural experience with outdoor living. The Bicycle Adventures
are for the students finishing grades 7-12 who are seeking an “outdoor
adventure without a backpack” and offer varying degrees of challenges
in and around “spectacular natural environments.” Finally, the Service
Adventures are designed for students to obtain high school community
service requirements by working with Native Americans and assisting
in environmental projects while adventuring in the outdoors.
The Family/Parent Adventure program provides an opportunity for a student’s
family to also be involved in the wilderness adventure. Before, during,
or after the student’s adventure, moms, dads, and other family members
are invited to experience a sampling of Wilderness Venture’s adventures.
Wilderness Adventures believes that the emphasis that they put on personal
growth, interpersonal communication skills, and learning to live within
a group separates them from other wilderness programs and presents
an “invaluable” experience for adolescents.
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