Taking on a Challenge

Trust is built through an adventure

Story by Amanda DeLosh
Photos by Kathleen Trombley, Adirondack Experience, Inc.

As the young girl sits and stares into the reflecting mirror, she pictures what she wishes her life could be, wanting to be someone else but feels like she shouldn’t try anymore.

Every day there are teens faced with the challenge of fitting in. Peer pressure is occurring every moment of every day; teens are being forced out of their houses because of family differences, drug related issues or causing problems within their communities.

"Honestly there is no other way or place that I would want to help people."

In the town of Lake Placid, NY, a small community of counselors and specialists has come together to create a place these teens can get away from their problems.  They will be able to rise to the challenge of making themselves stronger in life. This program is called the Adirondack Experience, INC.

Adirondack Experience is on 200 acres of land, and has a 100-year-old farmhouse that holds eight.

Kathleen Trombley, a program counselor at Adirondack Experience INC, says, “The individual and group counseling is integrated with adventure-based activities to create opportunities for teens to make positive and healthy changed in their lives.”

Adirondack Experience's goal is to prevent out of home placement. Along with this, they want to reduce the length of placement in foster care.

“Our approach is to resolve problems through assessment and counseling and to insure the continuation of this resolution through a transfer of treatment to the family and community during aftercare services.”

Nicole Hayes, a student at St Lawrence University and one of the interns at The Adirondack Experience says, “The first couple of weeks were hard and you could tell that some of the girls really did not want to be there.”

“As the year progressed, you could definitely see progress in all of the girls.  They were starting to communicate better, get along better with one another, and were more well-behaved in general,” she continues.

Adirondack Experience was first developed in 1973 known as Camelot. It was part of Saint Frances Academy known, a treatment facility.

“We would come up with creative games to work on their communication and listening skills or sometimes we would take them to a show that was going on, on campus that day,” says Hayes.

"It gives kids something to look forward to if they are in tough situations."

What separates this program from other programs of its kind are the relationships that are developed among the youth and the counselors. The counselors are just as involved as the teens will be in each program and activity, whether it is inside or outside.

“Learning to utilize help from others is the core of learning,” Trombley says.

According to Trombley, this will help prepare the individual for reentry to the family with skills and trust, which will help them move on and continue helping themselves at home.

In order to keep the teens interested there are many different approaches taken.

“We tried to mix in fun games, such as apples to apples, with games that require them to use certain skills, such as communication,” Hayes says.

There are many different programs offered at AE (Adirondack Experience). One is aimed for youth and families in crisis. This program is here to help prevent at risk youth from increasing in the level of care needed.

Hayes says, “I really enjoyed planning activities on the SLU campus for the girls to participate in each week.  It was a chance for them to get out of their unhealthy family environment and come into a new environment with different people and participate in activities that they normally would not get the chance to do.”

This is also known as the one-year program called the Therapeutic Intervention Program. This would be for teens with bad behavioral levels, drug and alcohol issues, low self-esteem, motivation problems and also family situations.

“Physical activity gives the individual an alternate way to express themselves,” says Hannah Crouse, a Plattsburgh State University psychology major.

"The one thing that stands out that I have taken with me is knowing that I helped changed the lives of young girls who are 'at-risk' for bad behaviors and come from foster homes or other homes that do not foster a healthy environment."

AE is one of the special outreach programs because they have a program specifically for visually impaired individuals. This is a 10-day overnight stay that happens each summer.

What AE has done is allowed these teens to experience the same things teens without a physical disability do. The intentions are to help with self- esteem and confidence along with building trust within themselves and others around them. They try to prepare them for future jobs and education as well.

Along with all of these individual activities, there are group activities offered that church organizations, school groups, clubs and even corporate groups can take part in and enjoy.

People are given obstacles to overcome limits of physical and emotional aspects to achieve goals in teamwork, communication skills and, most of all, a better trust in oneself. Along the lines of trust, a better self-confidence level is gained and an improved appreciation of others around them.

Crouse says, “It can give them a sense of well being, they have a purpose in life.” She continues saying, “It gives kids something to look forward to if they are in tough situations.”

Some of the group activities that make the challenges escalate are a range from low ropes to high ropes and a climbing wall.

In regards to the rope courses, “Participants are forced to examine pre-set emotional limits and fears,” Trombley says. She continues saying, “In challenging oneself the participant enjoys a sense of adventure and the satisfaction of achieving success at something which seems impossible.”

There are also adult treatments provided at AE that help work with St. Joseph Rehabilitation Center in Saranac Lake. These sessions include camping trips, barbeques and other experiences reflecting on how they can change their actions for the better.

Adirondack Experience has become well known around the North Country for helping not just teens but everyone as a whole. There have been many positive outcomes coming from this program.

“This was a great experience and there are many things that I have taken away from it,” Hayes says.

Hayes continues saying, “The one thing that stands out that I have taken with me is knowing that I helped changed the lives of young girls who are ‘at-risk’ for bad behaviors and come from foster homes or other homes that do not foster a healthy environment.”

Helping one person with a self-esteem issue can solve so many problems for their friends and family. One could be surprised at how greatly changed a person can be by just putting a smile on their face.

“It’s amazing to see trust build, when a kid who has never trusted anyone opens up after a week of being here you get to see them shine,” Trombley says.

She continues saying, “Honestly there is no other way or place that I would want to help people.”

What do you think of Adirondack Experience, INC.?