He's 15 and getting into trouble. This program has been recommended to me by several counselors. Does anyone have any experiences, good or bad, that they can share about EYC?
2007-02-18 17:01:04 · 4 answers · asked by TeacherLady 6 in Education & Reference ➔ Primary & Secondary Education
I have worked at two such camps, not Eckerd but similar, as well as an expedition camp. These camps are not equal in their population of kids, their length of stay, the cost, OR their reputation.
I do know that wilderness camps have the potential to help almost any kid if they are in the right program, have the right staff, and have a support system at home. These are choices based camps most times, helping the kid learn from natural or logical consequences to their behavior, where there was none before to motivate a change. They also emphasize confidence, self-respect, physical and emotional safety, team building. These are very nurturing programs as opposed to yelling and breaking the kid's spirit. They teach dealing with feelings, impulses, and problems in an appropriate way, they teach kids how to take responsibility for their past, how to function in the family without causing harm, and how to make positive friends.
For a camp that I am personally involved with and I can vouch for it being an excellent place, try LoneStar Expeditions. It is located in East Texas. I worked there until very recently. It is an intervention camp, starting the ball rolling toward a healthier life for all. I LOVE this program and left to take care of myself after three years there, when my mother died in Dec...so my leaving had nothing to do with the program, in fact I really miss it. I just knew it was time to step out for a bit and get myself ready to go back there someday in the future. This camp is currently staffed with the best in the business, my opinion. They are all in it for the right reasons and have something very very special to offer your child.
Re: location of the camp compared to your location, in my experience, the further you send them away from your home area, the less likely they are to run away.
No matter what you decide, PLEASE PLEASE do your research on anything you consider, including LSE. I want you to feel sure you are doing the right thing because YOU think so, not because I said so.
You do have to be very strong to handle this kind of placement for your child. Like any other intervention they will be PIIIIIIIIIIIISSED when they first get there. You can bet they will beg you to come and get them. You can bet they will exaggerate how bad it is. What it is, is bare bones living. They get only the basics and they almost always come away appreciating the experiences because they learned to be content with this, and they learned how to master their environment instead of being victimized by it. There are connections to home at every turn. They are encouraged to compare the camp experience to home, compare wilderness struggles to life in the city. The metaphors are there. The beauty is, this program exposes the kid's misbehaviors as something that just doesn't work well for them at the time or in the future. The kid is still the same person, with the same skills, when they first get there. We show them exactly how their strategies work when they aren't rescued from themselves...and they end up soaking up positive information like a sponge...likewise, when the kid leaves camp, they are the same person leaving as they will be when they get home. So with learning by the parents, to be consistent after camp, the kid is very likely to be successful.
One thing I will tell you is we will NOT fix your kid. The reason? Your kid is not broken. They are simply doing things that they either don't realize the magnitude of, or the affect on the family, or the affect on their future or past. We teach them different strategies to get their needs met, and they accept them graciously...because no child wants to be considered a bad kid.
We also don't blame your kid exclusively for the problem in the family. We ask everyone to contribute to a healthier family. For parents that means being involved with their own therapy with the kid's therapist, and learn new ways to handle things...and ask that you learn the principles they are learning so you can follow through with them when they get home.
Also be aware that this is expensive. Some medical insurance policies help with it, or you can take out an education loan to supplement it, but it is paid up front with no refund if you pull your kid out for no reason. And we are talking thousands of dollars.
2007-02-21 02:52:06 · answer #1 · answered by musicimprovedme 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My youth camp was where I didn't have to wear skirts; the church was Baptist but not independent at the time. I packed T-shirts, shorts, jeans, sandals, hygiene stuff, a swim suit, and of course my Bible that my mom bought for me. Camp was fun though-it happened eight years ago and I still have a T-shirt from it, but what I remember the most was that was my very first time I saw a real live band play there and they were Christian. I was much more closer to God that whole week than I'd ever been close to God because there was no TV to watch and no music to listen to on my stereo. It was good to be away from that stuff.
2016-05-24 06:22:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
my sister went about 15 years ago, the only real benefit was that she ended up missing her friends and family and i guess it made her value family more. the drawback is that it costs a lot and the state doesn't pick up the tab, you do.
2007-02-18 17:07:59 · answer #3 · answered by jglassdude 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
son went there and it helped him,,,, it straightened him out and he has joined the air force,,, he has become a good man ... i believe it saved his life
http://www.eckerd.org/
2007-02-18 17:08:12 · answer #4 · answered by cmhurley64 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋