Participating in the Crossings program allows young people to enhance their repertoire of successful and constructive behaviors. The wilderness provides a new context for participants as the distractions, luxuries, and influences of their daily lives are left behind and new skills and strengths are revealed through the challenges inherent with backcountry travel. Teens must work as a team to complete both the expedition goals and the smaller everyday chores that are important for successful community living. In addition, daily group debriefs by behavior technicians, and overall supervision by Masters Level Counselors ensures maximum support for each participant as they work through personal hardship, self exploration and ultimately, build self-esteem and character.

Nothing comes easy or by itself in the wilderness. The seemingly simple tasks of finding shelter, keeping dry and cooking meals are suddenly of extreme importance. It is our belief that until young people experience the negative consequences of their choices, they won't acknowledge their behavior as a problem. Nature’s consequences hold young people accountable for the good and bad choices they make in a more immediate and indisputable way than adults can. This ultimately helps them rediscover the values that are important to leading successful lives: family, responsibility, honesty, trust, and respect.

Wilderness living provides a natural healing environment. It provides the physical activity and healthy conditions that are especially important to adolescents and is the best available means to promote self-exploration and self esteem. This occurs in a setting where one naturally explores the meaning of solitude, daily work, play, and relationships. We believe that in order to affect change one must witness first hand the desired behavior. Through daily group challenges and debriefs we will establish true relationships with the students which will be the foundation for the program.