Rooted Life Adventures, a provider of transformative student experiences, is thrilled to announce the launch of its New Zealand Spring 2024 Young Adult Ages 18-24 10-Week Program. This unique wellness adventure model offers an ideal blend of excitement, cultural immersion, and therapeutic coaching, catering to the diverse needs of today’s students seeking a meaningful supported gap year-like experience. 

“At Rooted Life Adventures, we understand that today’s students require more than just a typical adventure trip or therapy session. Our innovative model combines the best of both worlds, offering students an immersive and supportive experience,” says Austin Rogers, Rooted Life Adventures Founder and Executive Director. 

Rooted Life Adventures’ Wellness Adventure program provides a life-changing opportunity for up to 12 students, creating a balanced environment with adventure and therapeutic coaching in real time. The program is thoughtfully designed to offer an array of engaging activities without being overly “hardcore,” while providing essential therapeutic support without being too clinical. Students will engage in Māori cultural immersion, volunteer service learning, an environmental conservation internship, life skills learning, and thrilling adventure excursions, all while embracing a sober and supported wellness environment.

Students explore all that New Zealand has to offer by embarking on incredible “bucket list” adventures of a lifetime including:

• Lord of the Rings Tour
• Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park
• Milford Sound Boat Cruise
• Bike Arrowtown to Gibbston
• Wanaka Lavender Farm
• Kayak Moke Lake
• Tekapo Dark Sky Project & Observatory
• Rotorua White Water Rafting
• Hike the Tiki Trail + Skyline Gondola + Luge
• And more!

The heart of the program lies in the students’ stay at a mountain view lodge, accompanied by a therapeutic coach and two dedicated program instructors. In-the-moment therapeutic coaching is provided by the on-site therapeutic coach who works alongside the students 24/7. Daily wellness practices, wellness skills workshops, and a psychoeducational core curriculum are seamlessly integrated into the students’ experience, promoting personal growth and self-discovery.

Rooted Life Adventures prioritizes continuity of care by partnering with each student’s current at-home therapist. During the program, each student will have a weekly virtual appointment with their at-home therapist to discuss their program experience, learning, challenges, goals, and anything else they may have been working on. To deliver a fully holistic wellness experience, parent coaching is also provided: 3 sessions at the beginning of the program to aid students and their families in adjusting to program life, and 3 sessions at the end during reintegration. 

“Our program places a strong emphasis on social learning, fostering meaningful friendships, and cultivating a sense of community. Living together in a house, students will learn valuable life skills, the importance of teamwork, and the art of independent living, along with embarking on unforgettable adventures,” added Rogers. 

It’s essential to note that Rooted Life Adventures does not provide clinical services. Instead, the program focuses on therapeutic coaching within a wellness-oriented framework, offering virtual visits to students’ home clinicians as needed. 

To learn more about Rooted Life Adventures and its Wellness Adventure Program, please visit www.rootedlifeadventures.com. Limited spaces are available, so interested students and parents are encouraged to secure their spots early!  

About Rooted Life

Rooted Life Adventures utilizes a dynamic range of outdoor adventure excursions, cultural immersion, volunteer service learning, psychoeducational curriculum, and wrap-around mental health support to empower young people to develop a core sense of self, belonging, capability, and purpose.