Passages Alaska has started its third season with expeditions on the water and beaches of Southeast Alaska. 2021 was a great year with the first winter expedition and now spring and summer groups are already in progress and continue to grow.
Spring has many correlations with students who will be joining the Passages Alaska team this season. The humpback whales that seem like co-facilitators to the Passages process are returning from warmer waters on their annual migration. Passages Alaska students are on something of a parallel journey. Students will be paddling with these magnificent creatures. Spring is a time for students to begin their journey of self-discovery with all that Alaska has to offer. They take time, as they paddle through the blue waters, to mindfully consider the circumstances that have brought them to Prince of Wales Island. Students identify challenges and recognize assets, and then set a course to navigate toward a more successful family and life experience. Watching the graceful whales, individual and group therapy, peer dynamics, and the Passages Alaska curriculum combine to provide a truly pivotal experience.
As spring brings new growth in nature, it is the same for the students. They watch the beautiful Alaska ocean and landscape come alive through the spring. As the students learn to be self-sufficient and competent in the various aspects of the program they start to grow and build their own self-confidence. Whether it’s cooking salmon or other locally procured food, learning water navigation, or re-creating their relationship with their families, a new reality begins to blossom.
About Passages Alaska
Passages Alaska is a unique wilderness therapy program in Southeast Alaska serving adolescent males and young adults aged 18-28 in gender-specific groups. As participants come into the Alaskan Wilderness the coastal waters offer a fresh perspective and a new path. Hands-on therapeutic interventions include paddling, whale watching, fishing, primitive skill building and service to others. Extensive therapy and coaching is built in for those with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and failure to thrive.
Skookum House is an adventure high school with educational support designed to keep students engaged, active, and progressing toward graduation. Skookum House is for high school boys who have not been able to thrive at home or in a virtual school environment. Students may choose to use their home high school platform or another virtual platform. While living at SH, students will benefit from a more normalized social life, participate in outdoor Alaskan adventures while learning unique, confidence-building skills, and gain a respect for serving others.