Our core philosophy is that all behavior is driven by emotional needs – and even though these needs are often very reasonable (acceptance, attention, power, control) the behavioral strategies that our students have previously employed are not. In fact, their behavioral strategies are often maladaptive, destructive, and clearly not sustainable. We help our students to understand the emotional motivations behind their behaviors, and then teach them healthier, more sustainable strategies to ensure that their needs are met.

The goal of Adirondack Leadership Expeditions is to teach participants to think more insightfully, assess their abilities, improve communication skills, and engage in healthy behaviors.

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 student is allowed to continue along a negative path. At Adirondack Leadership Expeditions, teens who are experiencing these types of troubles can explore their self-defeating behaviors and develop positive coping skills. Many parents equate our programs to an essential experience that is missing in modern society: the “rite of passage” from childhood into adulthood.