Education in Wilderness
"Our educational focus is what makes blueFire wilderness therapy the best choice for families with kids struggling in school. Many families struggle with issues in and around the classroom, for this reason we have invested a lot in an environment focused on creating educational success."
Kathy Rex, Founder of blueFire Wilderness
Academics in a Wilderness Setting
Learning in Wilderness
Unlike other wilderness programs, blueFire’s educational focus is based in a simple process:
1) Assess the Situation – Our Learning Styles Assessment will give us the knowledge and proper understanding of your child’s current situation to move forward in a productive manner. Often times, we are performing educational assessments that have never been done at a home school. We can offer a level of insight many families have never known were available.
2) Address educational challenges – After the initial Learning Styles Assessment, we work to use wilderness not only as a therapeutic process for behavioral change, but also to address points of contention. In accordance with state and national standards, each client will have academic goals listed in their treatment plan, based on their Learning Styles Assessment and their Youth Outcome Questionnaire.
3) Using nature as a unique and hands on learning environment – Through the use of our wilderness school, every day provides an opportunity to learn in a real, experiential way. For instance, we see and touch science or learn social sciences by traversing the same paths as previous generations. This experiential element helps to drive home lessons and create a lasting education environment.
Experience-based educational programs can have a significant, positive impact on the social, psychological and intellectual development of adolescents.
-Daniel Conrad & Diane Hedin, The Impact of Experimental Education on Adolescent Development
4) Focusing on the transition home – Living in the wilderness is not a long-term solution, but it is a strong tool making positive life-long changes behaviorally and educationally. We focus on teaching translatable skills in academics, as well as emotional and behavioral growth. This eases the transition from our wilderness school program back to the “real world.”
**Please note, for our young adult program, our experience is that our clients first and foremost must re-engage and find motivation before they pursue formal or even more informal forms of education. To learn more about how we help instill confidence and direction in young adults, please visit our Pulsar site.
To learn more about the educational focus of blueFire Wilderness, please call us today 844-413-1999.
Want to Learn More
We are happy to answer any question you have about bluefire wilderness
The blueFire Wilderness Therapy curriculum has been aligned to current Idaho Educational Standards and, in association with the Northridge Learning Center/Dorius Academy, we proudly offer experiential educational credits in Environmental Science, Character Education, Life Management, Psychology of Daily Living, Health Education, and Physical Education. We have accreditation through Cognia.
Our curriculum is also aligned to Western Colorado University standards, for clients to receive up to 3 college credits for Psychology 197: Intro to Wilderness Therapy. When clients sign up for the college credits then parents can be reimbursed for the cost of blueFire through their 529 college savings accounts.
529 Funding at blueFire
Teens aged 14+ who are enrolled at blueFire Wilderness are now able to take a college-level course during their treatment and use their 529 funds to help pay for the program. blueFire Wilderness has partnered with Western CO University’s Center for Learning and Innovation program which allows students this great opportunity.
“The Center for Learning and Innovation offers students the opportunity to earn credit while participating in valuable learning opportunities provided by our contract partners through field expeditions and cultural exploration, as well as through leadership training and various certifications.”
The course offered is a psychology 101 class “Introduction to Wilderness Therapy” and is integrated into our Academic Programming. Upon completion of this course, the 3-credits will be transferable to any U.S.-based University.
The teens who enrolled in this course will be able to use as much or as little of their 529 Funds to pay for the blueFire PulsaR program. A 529 college savings plan is a state-sponsored investment plan that enables you to pay for education expenses and withdraw said funds tax-free.
This is an important opportunity for the teens in the blueFire program. Firstly with the help of the 529 college savings plan, more students who may be struggling can now afford the blueFire Wilderness therapy program. This form of financial aid can lessen the burden of tuition for students and their families.
Secondly, it provides a unique experience for students to be active in the therapy programming that is then being learned in their class, allowing a deeper understanding into their own therapies and the coursework itself. Imagine being able to deeply understand the therapies that are then being applied to yourself, and how much deeper of an insight one could create with that opportunity. Quite a few blueFire graduates end up going to school to become a licensed therapist, this course can help them springboard off into a fulfilling career.
Interested in applying to blueFire Wilderness? Contact Us today.