Our core philosophy is that all behavior is driven by emotional needs. Although the emotional needs are often very reasonable (acceptance, attention, power, control) the behavioral strategies our kids employ are not. In fact their behavioral strategies are often maladaptive, destructive, and clearly not sustainable. What we do is help kids understand the emotional drive behind their behavior and then teach them healthier, more sustainable strategies to ultimately get their needs met.

The goal of Adirondack Leadership Expeditions is to teach participants to think more insightfully, assess their abilities, improve communication skills and practice healthy behavioral habits.

Moving to the wilderness is a significant life change. It removes students from their "emotional comfort zone" and requires different skills to care for themselves. The simplicity of the wilderness environment helps them recognize the results of their behavioral choices and encourages them to try different coping strategies.

The teenagers who attend our programs are generally bright, creative adolescents who have fallen into negative behavior patterns. These teens may show signs of slipping grades and poor academic performance, hostility toward authority figures, poor choices of friends and peer groups, and other behaviors that, if they continue, could sabotage their success in the future. Although parents may not feel they have a truly troubled teen on their hands, these signs of trouble may become more evident if the teen is allowed to continue on a negative path. A program such as Adirondack Leadership Expeditions allows teens experiencing these troubles to explore their self-defeating behaviors and develop positive coping skills. Many parents equate our programs to a "rite of passage"--something that is missing in modern society.